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COIV1IV1  I  SSI  ONER 

JREAU    OP-   M>f*es  v  MANUFACTURES  AND  AGRICULTURE 


Rur 


kCoH 


MAP  OF    ARKANSAS 

Reproduced  on    a    reduced    scale  from  map  by  Jolin  C.  Branner 
1   end"™ '&  \adlogy   Survey    Bulletin    No.    351,    "The    Clays    of 
0  C  i  0 1 0  £  y        I       I  Arkansas,"  Washington,  D.  C.,   1 907. 


xv,UMV,^t  vi   /.&..vu.tu.vy  , 

\\     UNIVERSITY  OF     /  \/ 


QUATERNARY 


TERTIARY   Cambnan,0rdovician,5ilurian 
and  Devonian 


CARBONIFEROUS 

Pennsylvanian  Mississippian 


Cretaceous    Productive  Coal     Undifferentiated    UnderiyingBeds 
Formation        Measures  Sandstones      of  Mississippian      Rocks 


UNIVERSITY  OF 

ECONOMICS  &  SOCIOLO, 


MINERA 


IN 


ARKANSAS 


INCLUDING 

A  REVIEW  OF  OIL  AND  GAS 

CONDITIONS 


UNIVEBSITY  OF 

DEPT.  OF  RURAL  ECONOMICS 
FAYETTEVILLE, 


BY 

JIM  G.  FERGUSON 

COMMISSIONER  OF 

MINES,  MANUFACTURES  AND  AGRICULTURE 
STATE  OF  ARKANSAS 


LITTLE  ROCK,  ARK. 
1922 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


Page 
Directory  of  State  and  Federal  Officials  Associated  with  the  Mining 

Industry  5 

Introduction — A  Review  of  the  Mineral  Resources  of  the  State  and 
Recommendation  for  the  Revival  of  the  State  Geological  Survey, 
by  Jim  G.  Ferguson,  Commissioner  of  Mines,  Manufactures  and 

Agriculture  7-10 

Geology  and  General  Topographic  Features  11-34 

Principal  Arkansas  Minerals  and  Their  Location  by  Counties 35-36 

Counties  of  Arkansas  and  Their  Mineral  Resources 36-38 

Minerals  and  Economic  Products  (arranged  alphabetically) ^8-108 

Analyses  of  Arkansas  and  Other  Coals  48-49 

Directory  of  Arkansas  Coal  Mine  Operators 49-54 

Petroleum  and  Natural  Gas,  by  N.  F.  Drake 72-77 

What   Geologists   Say   About   Oil   and   Gas   Prospects   in   Different 

Counties  of  Arkansas jflBSB&KK^ ' 77"92 

Road-Making   Materials    95-98 

Hot  Springs,  Arkansas  104-106 

Mounds  and  a  Suggested  Theory  as  to  Their  Origin  107 

Magnet  Cove,  its  Rare  and  Useful  Minerals  107 

Diamond  Cave  of  Newton  County  : 108 

Soils — Surveys  in  Arkansas,  and  Materials  for  the  Improvement  of....  154 

MINING    LAWS,    ETC. 

Federal  Mining  Laws,  Etc 109-111 

State  Laws  With  Reference  to  Federal  Mining  Claims  111-112 

Laws  Creating  Arkansas  Bureau  of  Mines,   Manufactures  and  Agri- 
culture   113-115 

Law  Creating  Arkansas  Geological  Commission  •. 115-116 

Law  Governing  the  Taking  of  Sand,  Gravel,  Oil  and  Coal  from  River 

Beds,  etc 116 

Law  Concerning  Water  Power  Rights  116-118 

Act  Authorizing  Co-operative  Soil  Survey  118-119 

Mine  Inspection  Law  120-129 

Law  Creating  State  Coal  Mine  Examining  Board 130-131 

Oil  and  Gas  Conservation  Laws .". 132-137 

Pipe  Line  Regulations- 
Right  of  Eminent  Domain  Given 137 

Assessment  and  Taxation  138 

Forh4dding  the  Ignition  of  Escaping  Gas  138 

Law  Requiring  the  Release  of  Forfeited  Leases  139 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS  ~    3 

Ca|- 

Page 
Law  Permitting  Guardians  to  Release  Mineral  Rights  of  Minors  and 

Persons  of  Unsound  Mind  ........................................................................  139-140 

Synopsis  of  the  State  Oil  and  Gas  Inspection  Laws  ....................................  140-141 

Synopsis  of  the  Arkansas  Blue  Sky  Law  ....................................................  141-144 

Index    .....................  '.  ..................................................................................................  145-152 

Publications   of  Arkansas   Geological    Survey   ............................................  147-148 

Publications  of  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  on  Arkansas  ............................  148-149 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

Staff  of  the  State  Bureau  of  Mines  ....................................................................  4 

Portrait  of  Doctor  John  C.   Branner  ..........................................................  '..  6 

Branner's  Relief  Map  of  Arkansas  ...............................................  .  .....  .  ............  11 

Topography  of  Boston  Mountains  ..................................  '.  .......................  '....  ......  12 

Solution  Valley  in  Boone  Limestone   ............................................................  14 

Cotter  Dolomite,  East  of  Beaver  .....................  :  ................................................  17 

St.  Joe  Limestone  Member  ................................................................................  18 

Sandstone   in   Powell    Limestone   ....................................................................  19 

Unconformity  Within  Boone  Limestone  ............................................  .  ...........  22 

St.   Peter  Sandstone  ...............  ...............  .  ...................  :  .........................................  24 

Bauxite  Mine  ............................................................................................  .............  41 

Manganese  Mine  .................  .  ..................................................................................  41 

Diamond  Reduction  Plant,  Mufreesboro  ........................................................  55 

Blue    Granite   Quarry,    Pulaski    County    ........................................................  58 

Manganese    Mine    ..................................................................................................  65 

Marble  Quarry,  Batesville  ..................................................................................  67 

Novaculite  near  Glenwood  ..................................................................................  j  70 

Tank  Cars  Loaded  With  El  Dorado  Oil  ...................................  .  ......................  ',  92 

Road-building    Scene    .....................................................  96 

Sandstone  Quarry,  Lamar  ..................................................................................  99 

Tripoli  Vein  near  Delight   ...........................................................................  .....  103 

View  of  Hot  Springs,  Arkansas  ........................................................................  104 

Zinc  Mine,  Silver  Hollow  Bluff,  Mar*  on  County  ........................................  106 

Interior  Diamond  Cave,  Newton  County  ......................................................  ...  .  107 

MAPS 

Geological  Map  of  Arkansas  ........................................................  Inside  Front  Cover 

Relief  Map  of  Arkansas  ......................................................................................  11 

Miniatures  Showing  Distribution  of  Minerals  ............................................  35 

Arkansas  Coal  Field  ............................................................................................  47 

Iron  Deposits  ..........................................................................................................  61 

Manganese  Area,  Batesville  ..............................................................................  66 

Illustrating  Relative  Chances  for  Oil  and  Gai  ................  72 

Ft.  Smith-Poteau  Gas  Field  ..............................................................................  94 

Phosphate  Area,  Northern  Arkansas  ..............................................................  94 

Slate   Area   .  100 


OFFICIAL  STAFF  ARKANSAS 
BUREAU  OF  MINES 


Jim  G.  Ferguson,  Dr.  Wm.  F.  Manglesdorf, 

Commissioner  and  Director.  State  Chemist. 


John  C.  Small, 
Editor  of  Publications 


Dr.  N.  F.  Drake, 
Geologist. 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS 

Directory  of  State  Officials  Associated 
With  the  Mining  Industry 


BUREAU   OF   MINES  STAFF 

Commissioner  and  Director,  Jim  G.  Ferguson 
Geologist,  Dr.  N.  F.  Drake,  former  State  Geologist 
Editor  of  Publications,  John  C.  Small 
State  Chemist,  Dr.  Wm.  F.  Manglesdorf 
Assistant  State  Chemist,  G.  W.  Roark,  Jr. 
Little  Rock,   Ark. 


State  Mine  Inspector,  Jesse  Redyard,  Fort  Smith. 

State  Mine  Examining  Board,  Geo.  Westwood,  Hartford;  H.  Deman, 
Clarksville;  R.  A.  Young,  Greenwood;  Robt.  L.  Kendrick,  Altus. 

State  Oil  and  Gas  Inspector  (Conservation  Agent),  J.  A.  Brake,  Fort 
Smith  and  El  Dorado. 

'State  Coal  Oil  and  Gasoline  Inspector,  Perry  H.  Chappell,  Little  Rock. 

State  Commissioner  of  Labor  and  Statistics,  T.  A.  Wilson,  Little  Rock. 

State  Geologist,  Dr.  Gilbert  H.  Cady,  Fayetteville. 

State  Geological  Survey,  Thos.  C.  McRae,  Governor,  Ex-Officio  Chair- 
man, Little  Rock;  John  C.  Futrall,  President  of  the  University  of  Arkansas, 
Fayetteville;  Jim  G.  Ferguson,  Commissioner  of  Mines,  Manufactures  and 
Agriculture,  Little  Rock. 

Blue  Sky  Enforcement  Officer,  Chas.  McKee,  State  Bank  Commissioner, 
Little  Rock. 

College  of  Engineering,  University  of  Arkansas,  W.  N.  Gladson,  Dean. 
Attorney  General,  J.  S.  Utley,  Little  Rock,  Ark. 


UNITED  STATES  GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY 

(Interior  Department) 
George  Otis  Smith,  Director 
David  White,  Chief  Geologist 

Washington,  D.  C. 


UNITED    STATES    BUREAU    OF    MINES 

(Interior  Department) 
H.  Foster  Bain,  Director 

A.  W.  Ambrose,  Chief  Petroleum  Technologist 
Washington,  D.  C. 


UNITED  STATES  BUREAU  OF  SOILS 

(Department  of  Agriculture) 
Milton  Whitney,  Chief  of  Bureau 
Curtis  F.  Marbut,  in  charge  of  Soil  Survey 
G.  W.  Bauman,  Executive  Assistant 

Washington,  D.  C. 


DOCTOR  JOHN  CASPER  BRANNER, 

Foremost  Authority  on  Arkansas  Geology,  in  Appreciation  of  Whose 
Service  to  the  State  this  Page  is  Gratefully  Dedicated. 


• 

1      < 


INT  RODUC1  'ION 


Importance  of  Arkansas  As  a  Mineral  State 

ARKANSAS  has  elbowed  Pennsylvania,  the  parent  of  petroleum,  out  of 
fourth  place  in  oil  production;  she  produces  twice  as  much 
as  all  the  Western  Hemisphere;   she  was  first  to 
earth;  she  has  the  largest  and  best  deposits  of  whetstone^stfehas  a  superior 
grade  of  smokeless  coal;  she  has  the  purest  deposit-ofchalk  in  North  Amer- 
ica;  she  has  the  only  kno^yn  deposit  of  soapstone  west  of  the  Mississippi 
river;  she  has  in  Magnet/ Cove  thd  most  wonderful  aggregation  of  rare  and 
curious  minerals  known  ^o^the-^geologist,  and  at  Hot  Springs,  the  hottest 
thermal  waters  in  the  world. 

These  facts,  backed  up  by  government  authorities,  are  grouped  here  to 
get  the  attention  of  those  who  are  unfamiliar  with  the  state's  mineral  re- 
sources and  to  prepare  their  minds  for  a  lot  of  other  big  things  that  can  be 
said  about  Arkansas'  underground  wealth,  developed  and  undeveloped.  The 
world  is  beginning  to  take  notice  of  Arkansas,  the  mysterious  stranger  in 
the  mineral  world. 

More  than  thirty  useful  minerals  can  be  mined  or  quarried  in  abundance 
in  Arkansas,  and  there  are  a  hundred  other  minerals  for  which  the  future 
may  find  some  economic  use.  At  the  great  world  fairs  where  all  the  states 
bring  for  display  specimens  of  their  mineral  products,  Arkansas  demands 
more  exhibit  space  than  any  other  state  in  the  Union  and  surprises  the 
stranger  not  only  with  the  great  variety  of  its  minerals,  but  with  their  su- 
perior quality. 

The  value  of  the  mineral  products  now  aggregates  close  to  $100,000,000 
annually,  one-half  as  much  as  the  value  of  all  of  our  factory  products  and 
one-fourth  as  much  as  is  derived  from  all  our  agricultural  activities. 

Arkansas  stands  high  as  an  agricultural  state.  In  many  lines  of  manu- 
factures it  holds  a  leading  position.  It  is  now  coming  to  be  regarded  as  one 
of  the  important  mineral  states.  It  is  unique  among  the  states  in  that  it  has 
three  substantial  sources  of  income — three  bank  accounts,  as  it  were. 

Oil  Leads  All  the  List. 

Oil  now  ranks  first  in  commercial  importance  on  the  long  list  of  Arkansas 
minerals.  The  discovery  well  was  brought  in  at  El  Dorado  on  January  10 
of  last  year  and  within  ten  months  the  production  had  reached  72,000 
barrels  daily  with  new  wells  being  completed  every  week.  The  value  of 
Arkansas  crude  oil,  produced  in  1921,  was  $23,344,960.  There  are  598  pro- 
ducing wells  and  more  than  100  other  wells  being  drilled. 

Gravity  tests  of  the  El  Dorado  crude  oil  is  34.30,  Baume,  and  the  gas- 
oline content  is  30.7  per  cent.  In  production  Arkansas  now  ranks  fourth 
among  the  states  and  in  the  quality  of  its  oil  and  gas  the  El  Dorado  field  is 
among  the  most  valuable  in  America,  it  is  claimed. 

More  than  $6,000,000  has  been  invested  in  drilling  operations  and  many 
millions  more  in  oil  and  gas  leases  in  the  Eldorado  field.  All  of  the  large 


8  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

companies  are  represented  and  development  is  progressing  with  wonderful 
rapidity,  every  new  well  adding  thousands  of  dollars  to  the  productive 
capacity  of  the  state. 

Two  Natural  Gas  Fields. 

There  are  two  natural  gas  fields  in  Arkansas,  the  Fort  Smith  field,  which 
has  been  producing  gas  for  twenty  years,  and  the  El  Dorado  field,  developed 
about  one  year  ago.  The  Fort  Smith  field  includes  portions  of  Sebastian, 
Crawford  and  Scott  counties,  and  extends  into  Oklahoma.  The  present  cap- 
acity of  this  field  is  approximately  250,000,000  cubic  feet  of  gas  daily,  twen- 
ty per  cent  of  which  may  be  used  under  the  state  maximum  production  law. 
It  is  estimated  that  Fort  Smith  and  its  neighboring  industries  use  10,000- 
000  cubic  feet  a  day,  leaving  a  surplus  of  40,000,000  cubic  feet  daily.  This 
gas  is  found  at  depths  of  from  750  to  3,175  feet.  The  product  is  dry,  clean  and 
odorless  and  under  government  tests  shows  a  heating  record  of  1.057  British 
thermal  units. 

In  the  El  Dorado  field  there  are  at  this  writing  32  gas  wells,  each  pro- 
ducing from  one  million  to  25,000,000  cubic  feet  of  gas  per  day.  The  first 
gas  well  was  brought  in  by  the  Constantin  Company  in  1920,  and  was  shortly 
followed  by  the  bringing  in  of  the  nearby  Busey  oil  well.  The  wells  are  all 
within  a  short  distance  of  El  Dorado,  to  which  city  the  gas  is  piped  for  do- 
mestic and  industrial  use.  The  difference  between  the  Fort  Smith  and  the 
El  Dorado  gas  is  that  the  Fort  Smith  gas  is  dry  and  does  not  produce  gaso- 
line, while  the  El  Dorado  gas  is  wet  and  has  a  considerable  gasoline 
content. 

Before  the  discovery  of  oil  and  gas,  the  leading  mineral  of  the  state 
was  coal  and  it  still  is  a  source  of  considerable  wealth,  the  production  be- 
ing 2,000,000  tons  a  year.  The  coal-bearing  area  of  the  state  is  1,584 
square  miles  in  extent,  reaching  from  Russellville  on  the  east,  through  Pope 
Johnson,  Logan,  Yell,  Franklin,  Crawford,  Sebastian  and  Scott  counties 
to  and  beyond  the  Oklahoma  border. 

About  Clarksville  and  Russellville  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  field,  the 
product  is  a  high  grade  semi-anthracite,  and  in  the  western  part  of  the  field 
there  is  produced  a  high  grade  semi-bituminous  coal  of  almost  smokeless 
ality.  It  is  estimated  by  mining  engineers  that  there  is  in  sight  some 
850,000,000  tons  of  this  coal,  which  at  the  present  rate  of  mining  will  last 
or  350  years.  The  heating  value  of  the  coal,  which  lies  between  13,700  and 
14,700  British  thermal  units,  and  its  specific  gravity  (average  1.35),  place 
it  among  the  best  coals  in  the  United  States. 

First   in    Bauxite    Mining. 

Practically  all  of  the  bauxite  used  for  the  manufacture  of  aluminum 
ware,  chemicals  and  abrasives  in  the  United  States  and  probably  70  per 
cent  of  the  world's  supply  of  this  important  material,  is  produced  from  Ar- 
kansas mines.  The  bauxite  area  lies  partly  in  Pulaski  and  partly  in  Saline 
county,  between  Little  Rock  and  Benton.  The  large  reduction  plant  of  the 
American  Bauxite  Company  is  at  Bauxite,  Arkansas.  The  average  production 
is  around  500,000  tons  per  annum.  The  ore  is  mined  from  open  pits,  dried 
and  shipped  to  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania;  Elizabeth,  New  Jersey;  Niagara 
Falls,  New  York;  Detroit,  Michigan;  St.  Louis,  Missouri;  and  other  cities, 
where  it  is  consumed  in  the  large  aluminum  and  chemical  industries.  Bauxite 
in  value  ranks  third  among  the  major  minerals  of  the  state. 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS  9 

Other  Minerals  Worth  While. 

Zinc,  lead,  manganese,  iron  and  copper  are  metalic  minerals  found  in 
Arkansas  and  at  times  mined  with  considerable  profit.  There  has  been  a 
large  production  of  zinc  and  lead  in  the  northwestern  counties  of  the  state 
and  during  the  world  war  the  mining  of  manganese  proved  to  be  profitable. 
The  deposits  of  iron  and  copper,  while  promising,  have  not  been  developed 
to  any  considerable  extent  as  yet. 

The  mining  of  diamonds  has  been  restricted  to  a  small  area  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Murfreesboro,  Pike  county,  and  the  principal  operations  are  carried  on 
by  the  Arkansas  Diamond  Corporation,  which  company  has  erected  a  $300,- 
000  reduction  plant  in  the  field.  Hundreds  of  pure  gems  have  been  recov- 
ered from  igneous  formation  which  bears  all  the  marks  of  an  extinct 
volcano.  One  of  these  stones  weighed  18  carats  in  the  rough  and  in  quality 
compared  with  the  finest  of  South  African  diamonds.  Pike  county  has  the 
only  diamond  mine  in  America. 

Fuller's   Earth   and   Antimony. 

There  is  a  deposit  of  Fuller's  earth  between  Benton  and  Hot  Springs 
which  has  been  worked  at  several  different  times  and  which  promises  to 
add  another  important  mineral  to  the  long  list  accredited  to  Arkansas.  This 
material  is  used  for  the  clarifying  of  oil  and  for  medicinal  purposes. 

Antimony  is  an  anti-friction  metal  used  as  an  alloy  in  the  manufacture 
of  babbit  and  type  metal.  It  is  found  in  Sevier  and  Howard  counties.  As- 
phalt of  a  good  quality  exists  in  Pike  and  Howard  counties.  The  most  ex- 
tensive and  the  highest  grade  of  chalk  known  to  exist  in  the  United  States 
is  at  White  Cliffs,  Little  River  county,  where  a  project  has  been  undertaken 
to  establish  a  big  cement  plant. 

Clay  for  the  manufacture  of  brick  is  present  in  seventy  of  the  seventy- 
five  counties  of  the  state.  In  Hot  Spring  and  Sebastian  counties  there  are 
deposits  of  high  grade  fire  clay.  Pottery  clay  is  found  in  Saline,  Pike  and 
other  counties,  this  including  kaolin  from  which  the  famous  Niloak  artware 
is  made.  There  is  probably  no  state  so  rich  in  clays,  both  as  to  quantity 
and  variety. 

Glass  sand  of  excellent  quality  is  present  in  large  quantities  at  Guion 
Izard  county,  and  near  Bryant,  in  Saline  county.  Graphite  of  good  quality 
is  found  in  four  counties  of  the  state.  Gypsum,  one  of  the  materials 
useful  in  the  manufacture  of  cement,  is  present  in  three  counties  of  South- 
west Arkansas.  Iron  pyrites,  running  50  per  cent  sulphur,  is  found  near  Hot 
Springs.  This  is  one  of  the  materials  from  which  sulphuric  acid  is  made. 

Lots  of  Building  Stone. 

Building  stone  is  plentiful  in  Arkansas  and  constitutes  one  of  the  most 
important  items  on  the  list  of  minerals.  Near  Little  Rock  there  is  a  vast 
mountain  of  the  most  beautiful  gray  and  pink  granite  and  from  the  quarries 
near  Batesville  there  is  produced  the  splendid  marble  such  as  was  used  In 
the  construction  of  the  outer  walls  of  the  new  state  capitol.  Marbles,  lime- 
stones and  sandstones  are  found  also  in  other  parts  of  the  state. 

Novaculite,  an  oily  rock  from  which  whetstones  are  made,  is  found  In 
Southwest  Arkansas,  giving  this  state  first  place  in  the  production  of  this 
class  of  abrasives.  Ochre  and  other  mineral  paints  are  found  in  different 
parts  of  the  state.  The  only  soapstone  or  talc  deposit  known  to  exist  west 
of  the  Mississippi  river  is  in  Saline  county.  There  is  a  valuable  deposit  of 


3 

;/ 


10  /MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS 


tripoli  or  infusorial  earth  at  Butterfield,  and  the  same  material  is  reported 
as  being  present  in  five  other  counties  of  the  state. 

Lignite  or  cannel  coal,  which  has  been  tested  for  oil  and  gas  production 
with  very  favorable  results,  is  present  in  an  area  extending  northwestward 
from  Camden.  The  vein  ranges  from  two  to  six  feet  in  thickness.  It  is  said 
to  yield  as  high  as  38  gallons  of  oil  per  ton  and  11,386  cubic  feet  of  22.3  candle 
power  gas.  The  distillates  are  used  in  the  manufacture  of  paint  and  various 
proprietary  medicines,  being  produced  by  a  plant  at  Chidester. 
Phosphate  Rock  and  Slate.  •- 

In  the  northern  part  of  the  state,  extending  from  Batesville  probably  to 
the  western  line  of  the  state,  is  a  deposit  of  phosphate  rock  which  next  to 
the  deposits  of  Florida  and  Tennessee  are  probably  the  most  valuable  in 
the  United  States.  There  are  deposits  elsewhere  in  the  state,  but  none  so 
promising  as  those  of  North  Arkansas.  From  phosphate  rock  is  made  phos- 
phoric acid,  one  of  the  most  valuable  materials  for  the  fertilization  of  soil. 
A  new  process  of  treating  the  rock  has  been  devised  which  promises  to 
revolutionize  the  industry  of  acid  phosphate  manufacture  and  open  new 
markets  to  Arkansas'  abundant  stores  of  phosphate. 

Slate  of  excellent  quality  and  in  a  variety  of  colors  is  found  in  a  belt 
extending  westward  from  near  Little  Rock  to  the  border  of  the  state,  being 
formerly  quarried  at  Slatington.  In  the  manufacture  of  composition  roofing 
there  is  a  demand  for  crushed  slate  of  certain  shades  which  should  create 
a  new  and  larger  market  for  Arkansas  slates,  which  have  not  heretofore 
been  able  to  compete  in  the  slate  trade  with  the  superior  Eastern  states. 
Several  roofing  manufacturers  are  investigating  the  possibilities  of  devlop- 
ing  the  slate  deposits  in  Polk  and  Montgomery  counties. 

Need  of  a  Permanent  Geological  Survey 

This  recitation  of  the  mineral  resources  of  the  State  but  emphasizes 
the  need  of  a  permanent  and  active  Geological  Survey  in  Arkansas,  such 
as  will  give  substantial  aid  to  the  forces  which  are  seeking  to  develop  the 
underground  wealth  of  the  State  and  at  the  same  time  safeguard  and  hus- 
band the  public's  interests  in  these  valuable  assets.  I  am  hopeful  that  the 
next  Legislature  will  find  it  agreeable  to  make  liberal  provisions'  for  the 
re-establishment  of  the  Survey,  which  for  the  lack  of  funds  has  been  unable 
to  conduct  any  field  work  for  several  years. 

Dr.  John  C.  Branner,  in  a  letter  to  me  suggests  ten  big  things  that 
ought  to  be  done  on  the  geology  of  the  State.  These  are: 

1.  Bring1  up  to  date  the  work  on  the  coal  lands  and  pub- 
lish the  report. 

2.  Report  on  the  petroleum  and  natural  gas  resources. 

3.  Report  on  the  fertilizers. 

4.  Report  on  the  soils  of  the  state,  their  origin,  distribution 
and  treatment. 

5.  Report  on  the  clays,  kaolins  and  fuller's  earths. 

6.  Revise  and  publish  the  report  on  the  Lower  Coal  Measures. 

7.  Report    on    the    structural    materials    including-    Portland 
cement. 

8.  Report  on  the   state  water  supply  including-  underground 
waters. 

9.  A  comprehensive  work  on  the  general  geology  and  geo- 
logic history  of  the  state. 

10.     The    preparation   and   publication   of   a  large   scale   topo- 
graphic and  geologic  map  of  the  state. 


Commissioner  of  Mines,  Manufactures  and  Agriculture. 
Little  Rock,  Ark. 
January  3,  1922. 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS 


11 


Branner's    Relief 
Map  of  Arkansas. 


GEOLOGY  AND  GENERAL  TYPOGRAPHIC 
FEATURES  OF  ARKANSAS. 


BY  HUGH  D.  MISER,  With  Permission  of  the  U.  S. 
Geological  Survey. 


TOPOGRAPHY. 

The  topographic  features  of  Arkansas  reveal  considerable  diversity  and 
may  be  grouped  into  several  natural  divisions  which  are  briefly  described 
below. 

The  line  passing  from  a  point  near  the  northeast  corner  of  the  State  in  a 
general  southwesterly  direction  through  Little  Rock  to  Arkadelphia,  Clark 
County,  and  thence  nearly  due  west  through  De  Queen,  Sevier  County,  di- 
vides the  State  into  nearly  equal  parts  or  halves.  The  southeast  half  of  the 
State  is  a  comparatively  low  plain  which  is  a  part  of  a  broad  belt  of  country 
known  as  the  Gulf  Coastal  Plain.  This  plain  in  Arkansas  ranges  in  elevation 
from  100  to  700  feet  above  sea  level,  and  is  divisible  into  a  series  of  rolling 
uplands  lying  200  to  700  feet  above  sea  level  and  a  series  of  nearly  level  to 
gently  rolling  valleys  and  lowlands  lying  100  to  300  feet  above  sea  level. 
Both  the  uplands  and  lowlands  have  a  gentle  southward  slope.  Crowleys 
Ridge  is  the  most  prominent  physiographic  feature  in  the  northeastern  part 
of  the  State.  It  is  one-half  to  12  miles  wide  and  extends  from  Helena,  Phil- 
lips County,  northward  into  Missouri,  though  it  is  cut  in  two  by  gaps  at 
some  places.  The  crest  of  the  ridge  is  400  feet  above  sea  level  near  Helena, 
but  it  gradually  rises  northward  and  is  500  feet  above  sea  level  In  Clay 
County. 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS  13 

Most  of  the  northwest  half  of  the  State  is  comparatively  elevated,  and  is 
divided  by  the  Arkansas  River  Valley  into  the  Ozark  region  (including  the 
Boston  Mountains)  on  the  north  and  the  Ouachita  Mountain  region  on  the 
south. 

The  part  of  the  Ozark  region  lying  north  of  the  Boston  Mountains  is 
known  as  the  Ozark  Plateau  and  occupies  a  belt,  about  40  miles  wide,  along 
the  northern  border  of  the  State.  This  belt  is  made  up  of  two  plateaus. 
The  lowest  one  of  these — the  Salem  Plateau — is  in  Ordovician  rocks  and 
presents  an  exceedingly  rough  topography.  It  forms  a  triangle  whose  apex 
is  near  Newport,  Jackson  County,  and  whose  base  lies  on  the  Missouri-Ar- 
kansas line  from  Boone  County  to  the  east  end  of  Randolph  County,  but  the 
basin-like  area  in  which  Berryville,  Carroll  County,  is  situated  is  also  a  part 
of  this  plateau. 

The  next  higher  plateau,  known  as  the  Springfield  Plateau,  is  formed 
by  resistant  cherty  rocks  of  Mississippian  age,  and  lies  between  the  above- 
indicated  triangle  and  the  north-facing  escarpment  of  the  Boston  Mountains. 
It  is  separated  from  the  lower  plateau  by  a  sinuous  escarpment  which  at- 
tains a  height  of  400  feet  near  Eureka  Springs,  Carroll  County.  Much  of 
this  pleateau  is  a  gently  rolling  country  but  large  parts  of  it  are  cut  by 
numerous  canyon-like  valleys.  Most  of  its  surface  stands  between  1,000  and 
1,500  feet  above  sea  level. 

The  Boston  Mountains  overlook  the  Springfield  Plateau  from  an  Ir- 
regular north-facing  escarpment  500  to  700  feet  in  height  and  many  outlying 
peaks  of  these  mountains  stand  out  on  the  Springfield  Plateau.  Most  of  the 
southern  slope  of  the  mountains  is  less  precipitous  and  passes  off  gradually 
into  the  Arkansas  Valley,  though  at  many  places  it  is  marked  by  abrupt  de- 
scents and  is  broken  by  steep-sided  canyon-like  valleys.  This  mountainous 
region  has  an  average  width  north  and  south  of  about  35  miles,  and  extends 
east  and  west  a  distance  of  approximately  200  miles,  from  the  valley  of 
Neosho  (Grand)  River  in  Oklahoma  eastward  to  the  Coastal  Plain  near 
Batesville,  Ark.  The  mountain  tops  form  a  greatly  dissected  tableland, 
which  rises  2,200  feet  above  sea  level  and  1,700  feet  or  more  above  the  flood 
plain  of  Arkansas  River,  though  a  few  remnants  along  the  north  side  stand 
2,300  to  2,400  feet  above  sea  level.  The  mountains  are  rather  rugged  and 
have  steep  slopes  and  sharp  projecting  spurs  separated  by  narrow  ravines, 
500  to  1,400  feet  deep.  The  slopes  are  broken  at  many  places  by  vertical  or 
nearly  vertical  cliffs,  which  are  due  to  the  alternation  of  hard  and  soft  beds 
of  rock.  Some  of  the  cliffs  are  more  than  100  feet  high. 

The  Arkansas  Valley  is  30  to  40  miles  wide  and  extends  from  the  vi- 
cinity of  Little  Rock  westward  into  Oklahoma.  It  is  a  nearly  level  plain, 
most  of  which  is  between  300  and  600  feet  above  sea  level;  but  rising  above 
it  there  are  a  great  many  ridges  and  several  mountains  with  a  nearly  east- 
west  trend.  Among  the  mountains  are  Sugarloaf,  Poteau,  Petit  Jean,  Maga- 
zine, Whiteoak,  and  Big  Rock  mountains  and  Maumelle  Pinnacle.  Of  these 
Magazine  Mountain,  standing  2,823  feet  above  sea  level  and  2,300  feet  above 
the  surrounding  country,  is  the  highest  and  is  also  the  highest  mountain  in 
Arkansas.  The  statement  is  made  on  page  551  of  the  Encyclopedia  Brit- 
annica  (Eleventh  edition  1S10)  that  this  mountain  is  the  "highest  point 
between  the  Alleghenies  and  the  Rockies."  A  still  higher  point  ,as  shown 
on  the  Winding  Stair  topo;.  aphic  map  of  the  United  States  Geological  Sur- 
vey, is  the  west  end  of  Rich  Mountain  near  Page,  Leflore  County,  Okla- 
homa; it  is  between  2,850  and  2,900  feet  above  sea  level. 

The  Ouachita  Mountain  region  is  50  to  60  miles  wide  and  extends  from 
the  vicinity  of  Little  Rock  westward  Into  Oklahoma.  It  is  composed  of 
numerous,  nearly  east- west  ridges,  several  intermontane  basins,  and  a  dis- 
sected piedmont  plateau,  15  miles  wide,  along  its  southern  border.  The 
ridges  are  narrow  and  parallel  and  have  steep  slopes  and  sharp  straight 
even  crests.  Just  west  of  Little  Rock  they  are  low,  scarcely  exceeding  750 
feet  above  sea  level  or  more  than  250  feet  above  the  valleys,  but  they  grad- 
ually increase  in  height  to  the  west  and  on  the  western  border  of  the  State 
near  Mena,  Polk  County,  some  of  the  highest  ridges  attain  an  elevation  of 
2,750  to  2,800  feet  above  sea  level  or  about  1,750  feet  above  the  valleys.  The 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS  15 

intermontane  basins  are  wide  valley  areas  whose  upland  surfaces  range 
from  about  500  to  1250  feet  above  sea  level,  being  lowest  at  the  east  end 
of  the  region  and  highest  near  the  west  border  of -the  state,  and  they  are 
channeled  by  both  deep  and  shallow  valleys.  Mena,  in  Polk  County,  Mount 
Ida,  in  Montgomery  County  and  the  southern  part  of  the  city  of  Hot  Springs 
are  located  in  such  basins.  The  piedmont  plateau  is  known  as  the  Athena 
plateau,  receiving  its  name  from  Athens,  Howard  County.  It  occupies  a  belt 
of  country  about  15  miles  wide,  lying  between  the  Ouachita  mountains  on  the 
north  and  the  Coastal  Plain  on  the  south,  and  extending  from  near  Arkadel- 
phia,  Clark  County,  westward  into  Oklahoma.  When  the  plateau  is  viewed 
from  the  crests  of  the  mountains  to  the  north  it  appears  to  be  a  practically 
level  plain  ending  abruptly  against  the  mountains,  but  when  it  is  crossed 
very  little  level  country  is  found;  the  rest  is  greatly  dissected  by  narrow 
crooked  valleys  of  southward-flowing  trunk  streams  and  by  numerous  east- 
west  valleys  of  small  tributary  streams.  The  upland  surface  of  this  plateau 
ranges  from  400  to  1,100  feet  above  sea  level,  being  lowest  at  its  east  end  and 
along  its  south  side,  and  highest  on  the  north  side  in  Pike,  Howard,  and 
Polk  counties. 


Geology 


GENERAL  FEATURES. 


The  several  natural  divisions  of  the  State  differ  considerably  not  only 
in  their  surface  features  but  in  the  character  and  age  of  their  rocks. 

The  exposed  rocks  of  the  Ozark  region  consists  chiefly  of  dolomites, 
limestones,  cherts,  sandstones,  and  shales,  ranging  in  age  from  Ordovician 
to  Pennsylvanian.  The  rock  beds,  though  lying  nearly  flat,  have  a  slight 
southward  dip  which  is  disguised  in  parts  of  the  region  by  minor  folding  and 
by  a  considerable,  though  not  large,  number  of  faults.  The  youngest  forma- 
tions of  the  region  occupy  the  summits  of  the  Boston  Mountains  and  dip 
southward  from  these  mountains  to  the  Arkansas  Valley. 

The  rocks  in  the  Ouachita  Mountain  region  are  all  of  sedimentary  ori- 
gin with  the  exception  of  two  small  areas  of  igneous  rocks  and  their  assoc- 
iated dikes.  One  of  these  areas  is  at  Magnet  Cove,  Hot  Spring  County,  and 
the  other  at  Potash  Sulphur  Springs,  Garland  County.  The  igneous  rocks 
are  nephelite  syenites  and  related  types  and  were  intruded  into  the  sedimen- 
tary strata  late  in  the  Lower  Cretaceous  epoch  or  early  in  the  Upper  Cre- 
taceous epoch.  Some  of  the  igneous  dikes  at  and  near  Klondike,  Saline- 
County,  have  been  decomposed  to  a  soft  earth  to  a  depth  of  about  200  feet 
below  the  surface,  and  this  earth  is  being  mined  and  marketed  as  fuller's- 
earth.  The  sedimentary  rocks  consist  chiefly  of  cherts,  shales,  sandstones, 
and  novaculites;  they  are  24,000  feet  or  more  thick;  and  they  range  in  age- 
from  Cambrian  to  Pennsylvanian.  At  or  near  the  close  of  the  Pennsylvanian: 
epoch  they  were  subjected  to  intense  lateral  compression  movements  which' 
have  produced  numerous  parallel,  closely  compressed,  nearly  east-west  folds: 
and  a  considerable  number  of  faults.  As  a  result  of  these  movements  the 
strata  at  most  places  dip  at  angles  of  40°  or  more  from  the  horizontal.  The 
structure  of  the  region,  taken  as  a  whole,  is  that  of  a  vast  compound  anti- 
cline, which  is  known  to  geologists  as  an  anticlinorium.  The  principal  anti- 
cline extends  from  near  Little  Rock  to  the  vicinity  of  Mena.  In  general  the 
oldest  strata  are  exposed  near  the  middle  of  this  anticline  and  the  young- 
est northward  and  southward  therefrom,  but,  on  account  of  the  deformation 
of  the  strata  by  folding  and  faulting  much  alternation  of  older  and  younger 
beds  is  found  everywhere  in  going  in  a  northward  or  southward  direction 
across  the  region. 

The  Arkansas  Valley  lies  between  the  southward  monoclinal  slope  of 
the  Boston  Mountains  to  the  north  and  the  uplift  or  anticlinorium  of  the 
Ouachita  region  to  the  south  and  is  thus  a  synclinal  trough.  The  rocks  of 
the  valley  consist  of  24,000  feet  or  more  of  sandstones  and  shales  which  con 
tain  workable  beds  of  coal  over  much  of  its  western  part.  They  are  of  Penn- 
sylvanian age,  though  some  of  the  oldest  rocks  exposed  on  the  south  side  of 
the  valley  are  probably  of  Mississippian  age.  The  strata  like  those  in  the 


16  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

Ouachita  Mountain  region,  were  compressed  at  or  near  the  close  of  the 
Pennsylvanian  epoch  into  east-west  folds  and  have  been  faulted  to  some  ex- 
tent, but  the  folding  has  been  less  intense  than  that  in  the  Ouachita  region. 
The  anticlines  are  generally  narrower  and  steeper  than  the  synclines;  there 
is  a  tendency  for  the  anticlines  to  be  steeper  on  their  north  sides;  and  the 
folding  becomes  more  gentle  toward  the  north.  The  structure  bears  a  close 
relation  to  the  topography,  the  long,  narrow  ridges  indicating  moderately 
to  highly  inclined  rocks.  Buttelike  mountains,  such  ai  Poteau,  Sugarloaf, 
and  Magazine  mountains,  indicate  practically  horizontal  i^cks  in  synclinal 
basins. 

The  sedimentary  strata  underlying  the  surface  of  the  Gulf  Coastal  Plain 
are  chiefly  clays,  marls,  sands,  and  gravels,  and  are  of  Lower  Cretaceous, 
Upper  Cretaceous,  Tertiary,  and  Quaternary  ages.  They  lie  in  a  nearly  hori- 
zontal position,  though  they  have  a  general  dip  of  100  feet  or  less  to  the 
mile  to  the  south  and  southeast.  They  were  deposited  upon  a  fairly  smooth 
floor  of  Paleozoic  rocks.  This  floor  has  been  reached  in  deep  wells  at  Nash- 
ville, Howard  County,  and  at  other  places  near  the  northwestern  border  of 
the  Coastal  Plain,  but  over  most  of  the  southeast  half  of  the  State  it  has 
been  so  deeply  buried  that  it  has  not  been  reached  in  wells.  The  Cretaceous 
and  younger  strata  overlying  it  along  the  east  border  of  the  State  are  more 
than  2,500  feet  thick  and  those  along  the  south  border  are  more  than  3,000 
feet  thick. 

Intrusive  igneous  rocks  occur  in  the  Coastal  Plain  on  and  near  Fourche 
Mountain,  which,  is  a  few  miles  south  of  Little  Rock,  and  in  small  areas  near 
Bryant  and  Bauxite  in  Saline  County.  They  consist  of  pulaskite  ("blue  gran- 
ite") and  nephelite  syenite  ("gray  granite")  and  several  other  related  var- 
ieties of  rock.  Associated  with  the  igneous  rocks  and  with  the  adjacent 
Tertiary  sediments  are  important  deposits  of  bauxite,  the  chief  ore  of  alum- 
inum. Other  igneous  rocks,  known  as  peridotite,  occur  in  four  small  areas 
near  Murfreesboro,  Pike  County.  The  largest  of  these,  so  far  as  known, 
contains  about  75  acres.  Much  of  the  peridotite  has  been  decomposed  to 
earth  and  soft  rock  to  a  depth  of  200  feet  or  more,  and  in  this  earth  and 
soft  rock  diamonds  have  been  found.  The  igneous  rocks  in  the  Coastal 
Plain,  like  those  in  the  Ouachita  Mountain  region,  were  intruded  late  in  the 
Lower  Cretaceous  epoch  or  early  in  the  Upper  Cretaceous  epoch. 

The  sedimentary  rocks  of  Arkansas  have  been  carefully  studied  over 
much  of  the  State  and  have  been  grouped  into  numerous  formations  to 
which  names  have  been  applied.  By  means  of  the  fossils  in  them,  and  by 
the  determination  of  the  relations  of  the  strata  one  to  the  other,  they  are 
assigned  to  the  different  geologic  systems  and  series.  Some  rock  formations 
in  the  State  contain  no  fossils,  so  that  their  age  assignment  is  dependent  en- 
tirely upon  their  relations  to  overlying  and  underlying  rocks  whose  ages 
have  been  determined  by  means  of  fossils.  There  are  many  minor  and  major 
unconformities  that  break  the  succession  of  the  rocks;  and  on  account  of  the 
geologic  events  that  produced  the  unconformities  many  rock  formations  thin 
out  and  are  absent  over  large  and  small  areas.  The  rocks  in  each  of  the 
natural  divisions  of  the  State  are  briefly  described  below  in  the  order  of 
their  age,  with  the  oldest  first  and  the  youngest  last. 


Ozark  Region 

ORDOVICIAN  SYSTEM. 


Jefferson  City  dolomite. — The  Jefferson  City  dolomite  is  exposed  in  the 
northeastern  part  of  Marion  County  and  in  other  counties  farther  east,  and 
so  far  as  known  is  the  oldest  exposed  formation  in  Northern  Arkansas.  It 
consists  of  at  least  300  or  400  feet  of  gray  dolomite  and  chert,  in  which  a 
few  fossils  have  been  found. 

Cotter  dolomite. — The  Cotter  dolomite,  500  feet  or  more  thick,  is  exposed 
over  large  areas  in  many  counties  in  the  Northern  part  of  the  State,  but  has 
been  studied  in  greater  detail  west  of  Baxter  County  than  it  has  east  of  that 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANir'S 


17 


county.  The  thickest  outcrops  are  in  Northern  Boone  County  and  other 
counties  farther  east.  Bcrryville,  Carroll  i  .ounty,  and  Cotter,  Baxter  County, 
from  which  the  formation  takes  its  name,  are  situated  on  the  dolomite.  The 
formation  consists  mainly  of  two  kinds  of  dolomite — a  fine-grained  earthy, 
white  to  buff  or  gray  variety  known  as  "cotton  rock,"  and  a  more  massive 
medium-grained  gray  variety  whose  weathered  surfaces  are  rough  and  dark. 
Besides  dolomite  it  contains  chert  that  is  sparingly  fopsiliferous  and  also 
contains  thin  layers  of  sandstone  and  shale. 

Building  stone  is  quarried  from  the  formation  n^ar  Beaver,  Carroll 
County.  It  is  compact  gray  maer.esian  limestone  or  dolomit^,  in  beds  from 
2  tb  4  feet  thick.  The  best  beds  afford  durable  building  stone  of  pleasing 
color. 


Cotter  Dolomite,  East  of  Beaver.     Photo  by  J.  C.   Branner. 

Powell  limestone. — The  Powell  limestone,  0  to  200  feet  thick,  is  widely 
exposed  in  Benton,  Carroll,  Boone,  Marion,  Newton,  and  probably  other 
counties  farther  east,  but  is  absent  at  some  places  in  the  counties  here 
named.  It  is  a  fine-grained  gray  or  greenish-gray  magnesian  limestone, 
usually  free  from  fossils,  but  there  are  a  few  thin  beds  of  green  shale  and  at 
some  places  there  is  «.  conglomerate  at  the  base.  The  name  of  the  forma- 


18 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS 


tion  was  taken  from  the  abandoned  station  of  Powell,  a  short  distance  south- 
east of  Pyatt,  Marion  County. 

Everton  limestone. — The  Everton  limestone,  0  to  205  feet  thick,  is  widely 
exposed  in  Benton,  Carroll,  Madison,  Boone,  Newton,  Marion,  and  Searcy 
counties,  and  probably  others  farther  east.  It  is  thickest  in  Boone,  Newton, 
and  Marion  counties  and  thin  to  the  north,  west,  and  east.  It  takes  its  name 
from  Everton,  Boone  County,  where  it  is  well  exposed.  The  upper  part  of 
the  formation  is  115  feet  or  less  thick  and  is  composed  of  massive  compact 
dove-colored  limestone  and  some  friable  white  sandstone,  but  in  Marion 
County  much  of  the  limestone  contains  enough  magnesium  for  it  to  be  classed 
as  a  dolomite.  The  limestone  that  is  free  from  magnesium  is  suitable  for 
making  lime.  The  middle  part  of  the  formation  is  a  white  friable  sandstone 
in  massive  beds  and  is  known  as  the  Kings  River  sandstone  member,  re- 
ceiving its  name  from  Kings  River  in  Carroll  and  Madison  counties.  The 
sandstone  at  places  is  as  much  as  40  feet  thick  and  is  well  suited  for  the 


Thin-Bedded    St.   Joe    Limestone,    Member   of    Boone    Limestone. 

G.  T.  Adams. 


Photo   by 


manufacture  of  plate  and  ordinary  glass.  The  lower  part  of  the  formation 
is  a  sandy  compact  dark-drab  magnesian  limestone,  .known  as  the  Sneeds 
limestone  lentil,  and  varies  in  thickness  from  a  feather  edge  to  50  feet.  It 
is  not  as  widely  distributed  as  the  middle  and  upper  parts  of  the  Everton. 
The  known  exposures  are  in  Marion  and  Newton  counties.  The  limestone 
receives  its  name  from  Sneeds  Creek,  in  Newton  County,  on  which  it  is  ex- 
posed. 

St.  Peter  sandstone. — The  St.  Peter  sandstone — a  formation  which  is 
widely  distributed  in  the  upper  Mississippi  Valley — is  exposed  over  large 
areas  in  Carroll  County  and  most  of  the  other  counties  farther  east.  It  and 
the  Kings  River  sandstone  member  of  the  Everton  limestone  are  described 
in  the  reports  of  the  Arkansas  Geological  Survey  as  "saccharoidal  sand- 
stone." It  is  massive  and  friable,  is  white  or  cream  colored,  and  varies  in 
thickness  from  a  feather  edge  to  200  feet,  being  thickest  to  the  south  and 
east.  It  is  being  quarried  for  glass  sand  at  Guion,  Izard  County.  Outcrops 
of  this  sandstone  occur  in  many  of  the  picturesque  bluffs  along  Buffalo  and 
White  Rivers. 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS 


19 


Joachim  limestone. — The  Joachim  limestone,  0  to  150  feet  thick,  is  ex- 
posed in  Newton  County  and  all  of  the  counties  between  it  and  Lawrence 
County.  It  thins  to  the  north  and  west  and  is  therefore  thickest  in  its  most 
eastern  and  southern  outcrops.  It  is  a  drab-colored  fine-grained,  sparingly 
fossiliferous  magnesian  limestone,  and  at  many  places  it  is  sandy  and  con- 
tains thin  beds  of  sandstone  which  usually  occur  near  the  base. 

Jasper  limestone.— The  Jasper  limestone,  0  to  50  feet  thick,  is  present, 
so  far  as  known,  only  in  Newton  County.  It  takes  its  name  from  Jasper, 
the  county  seat,  near  which  most  of  the  exposures  occur.  It  is  a  compact 


Sandstone   in   Powell   Limestone.     Photo  by 
K.    F.    Mather. 

bluish-gray,  slightly  fossiliferous  limestone  suitable  for  making  lime,  and  it 
affords  a  beautiful  and  durable  building  stone,  as  is  shown  by  buildings  at 
Jasper  that  were  constructed  with  it.  A  bed  of  white  sandstone,  8  to  20  feet 
thick,  is  at  the  base  and  at  some  places  there  are  thinner  beds  of  similar 
sandstone  that  are  interbedded  with  the  limestone. 

Plattin  limestone. — The  Plattin  limestone,  0  to  240  feet  thick,  is  exposed 
over  large  areas  which  comprise  parts  of  Sharp,  Independence,  Izard,  Stone, 
and  Searcy  counties,  and  is  thickest  in  the  counties  to  the  east.  It  is  a  mas- 
sive, even-bedded  dove-colored  or  grayish-blue  limestone  which  is  compara- 
tively free  from  fossils  and  it  breaks  with  a  conchoidal  fracture.  It  has  been 
quarried  at  places  for  building  stone  and  for  making  lime,  for  which  it  is 
well  suited.  Certain  layers  of  the  limestone  are  so  fine  grained  as  to  suggest 


20  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

that  they  are  lithographic  stone  of  good  quality  and  considerable  prospecting 
has  been  done  for  such  stone  but  the  search  for  commercial  quantities  of  it 
has  not  been  successful.  The  most  promising  locality  is  on  West  Lafferty 
Creek  in  Izard  County. 

In  practically  all  of  the  geologic  reports  on  Arkansas  the  Plattin  lime- 
stone has  been  described  as  the  "Izard  limestone,"  but  the  "Izard,"  as  it 
was  defined,  included  not  only  the  Plattin  but  also  the  Joachim  limestone, 
which  has  been  described  above.  The  Jasper  limestone  which  overlies  the 
Jpachim  limestone  in  Newton  County  was  also  included  in  the  "Izard  lime- 
stone," but  it  is  absent  in  Izard  County,  from  which  the  "Izard  limestone" 
was  named. 

Kimmswick  limestone. — The  Kimmswick  limestone,  0  to  55  feet  thick,  is 
exposed  in  Independence,  Izard,  and  Stone  counties  and  so  far  as  known  is 
absent  farther  west.  It  is  an  even-bedded  massive  light-gray  fine-grained 
slightly  fossiliferous  limestone,  but  at  places  it  is  coarse  grained  and  at 
some  places  its  uppermost  beds  are  compact  and  grayish  blue,  thus  resem- 
bling the  bulk  of  the  Plattin  limestone.  Thin  lenses  and  nodules  of  chert 
are  present  at  many  places  but  are  not  sufficiently  numerous  to  prohibit  the 
use  of  most  of  the  limestone  for  making  lime  for  which  it  is  probably  suit- 
able. \ 

The  Kimmswick  limestone  constituted  the  lower  part  of  "Polk  Bayou 
limestone"  of  many  of  the  geologic  reports  on  Northern  Arkansas,  whereas 
the  Fernvale  limestone,  which  overlies  the  Kimmswick,  constituted  the  upper 
part  of  the  "Polk  Bayou  limestone."  In  some  of  the  earliest  reports  the 
Kimmswick  limestone  was  included  in  what  was  then  called  the  St.  Clair 
limestone. 

Fernvale  limestone. — The  Fernvale  limestone,  0  to  125  feet  thick,  is 
exposed  over  large  areas  in  Independence,  Izard,  and  Stone  counties;  small 
outcrops  occur  near  St.  Joe,  Searcy  County;  and  one  small  outcrop  is  on 
Little  Buffalo  River,  a  mile  northeast  of  Jasper.  The  greatest  thickness  of 
the  limestone  given  above  is  in  Penters  Bluff  near  Penters  Bluff  station,  in 
Izard  County,  but  the  usual  thickness  at  other  places  in  the  Batesville  man- 
ganese district,  in  which  Penters  Bluff  occurs,  is  about  100  feet.  This  lime- 
stone is  coarse  grained,  massive,  cross  bedded,  and  fossiliferous,  is  dark 
gray  and  pinkish  gray  in  color,  and  would  make  a  valuable  building  stone. 
Deposits  of  manganese  ore  occur  in  the  Fernvale  limestone  and  in  its  resid- 
ual clays  in  the  Batesville  manganese  district,  which  comprises  parts  of 
Sharp,  Izard,  and  Independence  counties,  and  they  have  been  worked  much 
of  the  time  since  1849. 

The  Fernvale  limestone  was  included  in  the  so-called  St.  Clair  limestone 
of  some  of  the  earlier  geologic  reports  on  Northern  Arkansas,  also  in  the 
so-called  "St.  Clair  marble"  of  some  of  the  reports,  and  in  the  upper  part  of 
the  "Polk  Bayou  limestone"  of  the  more  recent  reports.  It  was  first  identified 
by  E.  O.  Ulrich  as  being  the  same  as  the  Fernvale  limestone  of  middle  Ten- 
nessee. 

Cason  shale. — The  Cason  shale,  0  to  21  feet  thick,  is  present  in  com- 
paratively smal  lareas.  The  largest  of  these  are  in  Independence,  Izard,  and 
Stone  counties,  but  small  outcrops  occur  near  Duff,  Searcy  County,  and  Jas- 
per, Newton  County.  It  consists  of  greenish-gray  calcareous  shale  and  smal- 
ler amounts  of  sandstone  and  phosphate,  and  besides  these  it  contains  man- 
ganese and  iron  minerals.  Phosphate  is  widely  distributed  in  the  shale  and 
has  been  mined  at  a  few  places  near  the  abandoned  village  of  Phosphate  in 
Independence  County.  The  mines  have,  however,  not  been  worked  for  sev- 
eral years.  At  several  places  in  the  Batesville  district— notably  the  Cason 
mine  3  miles  north-northeast  of  Batesville — parts  of  the  shale  contain  a 
large  enough  quantity  of  manganese  oxides  for  such  parts  of  the  shale  to  be 
mixed  and  shipped  as  a  low-grade  manganese  ore.  The  residual  clays  of  the 
shale  also  contain  workable  quantities  of  manganese  ore.  Fossils  in  the 
Cason  shale  have  been  found  at  very  few  localities. 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS  21 

SILURIAN  SYSTEM. 

Brassfield  limestone. — The  Brassfield  limestone  so  far  as  known  is  pres- 
ent at  only  a  few  places;  these  occur  between  Duff  and  Tomahawk,  Searcy 
County,  where  it  is  several  feet  thick,  but  fossils  that  have  been  derived 
from  it  through  weathering  occur  in  residual  clays  at  the  Montgomery  mine, 
5  miles  east-northeast  of  Cushman,  Independence  County.  It  is  a  granular, 
light-gray  fossiliferous  limestone  and  contains  a  small  amount  of  gluconite. 
This  limestone  has  heretofore  been  included  in  the  St.  Glair  limestone,  but 
its  lithology,  fossils,  and  stratigraphic  relations  show  that  it  is  of  the  same 
age  as  the  Brassfield  limestone  of  Kentucky  and  Tennessee. 

St.  Clair  limestone. — The  typical  St.  Clair  limestone,  0  to  100  feet  thick, 
is  exposed  at  many  places  in  Independence,  Izard  and  Stone  counties.  It  is 
a  coarse-grained  pinkish  light-gray,  highly  fossiliferous  limestone  and  much 
of  it  would  make  a  valuable  building  stone.  The  greatest  thickness,  100 
feet,  is  at  the  Cason  mine. 

Lafferty  limestone. — The  Lafferty  limestone,  0  to  85  feet  thick,  is  a 
thin-bedded  compact  earthy,  sparingly  fossiliferous  limestone,  of  which  the 
upper  part  is  gray  in  color  and  the  lower  part  red.  The  only  known  oc- 
currence is  an  exposure  I1/!  miles  north  of  Penters  Bluff  station  in  Izard 
County.  The  name  of  the  limestone  is  taken  from  West  Lafferty  Creek  which 
is  half  a  mile  east  of  the  exposure. 


DEVONIAN  SYSTEM. 

Penters  chert. — The  Penters  chert,  0  to  91  feet  thick,  is  exposed  within 
two  small  areas  in  Independence  County,  one  being  near  Pfeiffer  and  tb  * 
other  near  Penters  Bluff  station  from  which  the  formation  takes  its  name. 
It  is  a  compact  gray  and  bluish  chert,  though  the  upper  part  is  dark  colored 
at  places.  No  fossils  have  been  discovered  in  the  chert  uut  its  lithology  an»l 
stratigraphic  relations  indicate  that  it  is  of  the  same  age  as  the  Camden 
chert  of  west-central  Tennessee  and  the  lower  part  of  the  Arkansas  novacu- 
lite  of  west-central  Arkansas  and  southeastern  Oklahoma.  The  Camden 
chert,  as  shown  by  fossils,  is  equivalent  in  age  to  at  least  a  part  of  the 
Oriskany  group  of  the  Northern  Appalachian  region. 

The  Penters  chert  has  heretofore  been  considered  to  be  a  part  of  the 
Boone  chert,  which  Is  described  later. 

Clifty  limestone. — The  only  exposure  of  the  Clifty  limestone  in  Northern 
Arkansas  is  on  the  East  Fork  of  the  Little  Clifty  Creek  in  the  southeast  cor- 
ner of  Benton  County.  It  is  a  sandy,  compact,  light  bluish-gray  fossiliferous 
limestone  and  the  greatest  thickness  that  has  been  observed  is  2y2  feet. 

Chattanooga  shale. — The  Chattanooga  shale  is  exposed  in  Washington, 
Benton,  Carroll,  Madison,  Searcy,  and  Independence  counties.  It  is  either 
absent  or  not  exposed  in  the  other  counties  in  Northern  Arkansas.  It  is  a 
coal  black  clay  shale  that  splits  into  thin  plates  and  slabs  and  gives  off  the 
odor  of  petroleum  when  struck  with  a  hammer.  It  is  thickest  near  the  west- 
ern border  of  the  State,  where  it  attains  a  thickness  of  70  feet.  The  shale 
is  generally  underlain  by  a  white  to  brown  sandstone,  0  to  75  feet  thick, 
known  as  the  Sylamore  sandstone  member,  which  is  also  thickest  in  the 
western  part  of  the  State.  At  some  places  the  sandstone  contains  chert 
pebbles  and  at  some  places  it  is  phosphatic. 

The  Chattanooga  shale  in  the  reports  of  the  Arkansas  Geological  Survey 
is  called  "Eureka  Shale." 


CARBONIFEROUS  SYSTEM. 

Mississippian  Series 

Boone  formation. — The  Boone  formation,  250  to  400  feet  thick,  consists 
in  the  main  of  a  series  of  cherty  fossiliferous  limestones  and  cherts  that  has 
been  known  as  the  Boone  chert,  a  name  given  to  the  series  on  account  of  Its 
wide  distribution  in  Boone  County.  Below  these  over  a  large  area  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  State  lies  the  St.  Joe  limestone  member  of  the  forma- 
tion, a  well-marked  bed  of  gray  or  pink  crystalline  limestone,  which  Is  the 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS  23 

basal  Carboniferous  bed.  It  is  easily  recognized  by  its  color,  texture,  and 
its  marked  contrast  with  the  beds  that  usually  underlie  it.  This  limestone 
ranges  in  thickness  from  a  feather  edge  to  100  feet  and  forms  an  almost  un- 
broken, though  very  sinuous  outcrop  from  the  vicinity  of  Mountain  View, 
Stone  County,  to  the  State  line  near  Seligman,  Mo.,  and  is  exposed  in  all  of 
the  counties  between  that  county  and  the  western  boundary  of  the  State. 

Where  the  cherts  are  interbedded  with  much  limestone  they  form,  on 
decay,  a  fertile  soil,  such  as  is  found  over  large  areas  in  Boone,  Benton,  • 
Washington,  and  Madison  counties.  When  comparatively  free  from  lime- 
stone beds  the  soil  is  generally  too  meager  for  agriculture  and  forms  the 
"flint  hills"  of  central  Independence  County,  of  western  Carroll  and  north- 
ern Madison  counties  and  the  watersheds  north  of  Marshall  and  southwest 
of  Rush  Creek,  in  Marion  County,  and  the  hilltops  about  Elixir  Springs, 
Boone  County,  and  Doddsville,  Marion  County. 

The  Boone  formation  affords  an  abundance  of  fractured  loose  chert  on 
the  hillslopes,  suitable  for  road  building.  The  limestone  in  it  is  used  for 
building  stone  and  for  making  'lime.  A  quarry  at  Pfeiffer,  Independence 
County,  is  producing  a  high  grade  of  ornamental  limestone. 

Moorefield  shale. — In  the  vicinity  of  Batesville  there  is  a  bed  of  shale 
lying  on  the  Boone  formation.  .  It  is  well  exposed  around  Moorfield,  from 
which  it  is  named.  At  and  near  Batesville  it  varies  in  thickness  from 
less  than  100  to  more  than  250  feet.  To  the  west,  at  Marshall,  it  is  not  over 
35  feet  thick,  and  evidently  it  does  not  extend  much  farther  westward.  The 
shale  has  a  light  grayish  or  bluish  color  and  is  very  friable.  In  places  it  is 
sandy.  A  fossiliferous  limy  phase,  several  feet  thick,  at  its  base  has  been 
called  "Spring  Creek  limestone." 

Batesville  sandstone. — The  Batesville  sandstone,  0  to  200  feet  thick,  is 
so  named  from  the  town  of  Batesville  which  is  built  on  it.  The  sandstone  is 
present  along  the  base  of  the  slopes  of  the  isolated  hills  and  mountains 
north  of  the  Boston  Mountains  escrapment,  in  Independence,  Stone,  Searcy, 
Newton,  Boone,  Carroll,  Madison,  Washington,  and  Benton  counties.  It  is 
thickest  in  its  most  eastern  exposures.  The  rock  is  coarse  grained,  cream- 
colored  to  brown,  often  false  bedded,  and  in  some  places  contains  beds  of 
shale  interstratified  with  sandstone.  A  light  sandy  soil  results  from  its  dis- 
integration. It  serves  as  an  excellent  reservoir,  for  the  wells  that  penetrate 
it  usually  find  in  it  an  abundance  of  good  soft  water. 

In  the  part  of  the  State  west  of  Harrison,  Boone  County,  the  sandstone 
is  generally  underlain  by  a  limestone,  0  to  50  feet  thick,  known  as  the  Hinds- 
ville  limestone  member.  The  greatest  areal  exposure  of  the  member  is 
near  Hindsville,  Madison  County,  from  which  it  was  named.  The  limestone 
is  gray,  fossiliferous,  and  oolitic,  is  interbedded  with  thin  beds  of  sandstone, 
and  includes  at  its  base  a  chert-pebble  conglomerate.  It  is  suitable  for 
building  stone  and  for  making  lime.  The  limestone  for  the  columns  at  the 
front  entrance  of  the  main  building  of  the  University  of  Arkansas,  at  Fay- 
etteville,  was  quarried  from  this  limestone  on  Brush  Creek  near  Hindsville. 

Fayetteville  shale. — The  Fayetteville  shale,  10  to  400  feet  thick,  consists 
principally  of  black  or  dark-gray  carboneous  shale,  at  many  places  thinly 
laminated,  and  in  general  is  thickest  to  the  south.  Near  its  base  there  is 
generally  a  thin  bed  of  hard,  dark  gray  or  blue  fossiliferous  limestone,  while 
its  middle  part  commonly  grades  from  a  sandy  shale  to  a  true  sandstone, 
and  where  the  sandstone  phase  predominates  this  portion  of  the  formation 
is  distinguished  as  the  Wedington  sandstone  member.  The  shale  is  well  de- 
veloped in  the  valley  of  West  Fork  of  White  River  near  Fayetteville,  from 
which  town  it  is  named,  and  the  Wedington  sandstone  member  is  particu- 
larly prominent  southwest  of  Fayetteville,  in  Wedington  Mountain,  where  it 
attains  a  thickness  of  150  feet— perhaps  one-half  the  total  thickness  of  the 
formation  there.  The  softness  of  the  shale  causes  it  to  erode  so  easily  that 
its  outcrop  is  usually  marked  by  a  valley,  or  by  steep  slopes.  Where  ex- 
posed, the  shale  disintegrates  readily  and  forms  a  black  and  fertile  soil. 
The  composition  of  the  unweathered  shale  renders  it  suitable  material  for 
brick  making.  The  shale  beds  are- practically  constant  from  the  Oklahoma 
line  to  the  Gulf  Coastal  Plain  near  Batesville,  but  the  sandstone  thins  out 
at  places. 


St.  Peter  Sandstone,  on   Buffalo  Fork  of  White  River, 
One  Mile   East  of  Mouth  of  Cove  Creek. 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  25 

Pitkin  limestone. — The  Pitkin  limestone,  0  to  100  feet  thick,  is  widely 
distributed  over  Northern  Arkansas,  extending  along  the  north  side  of  the 
Boston  Mountains  from  Independence  County  to  the  western  boundary  of 
the  State.  It  thins  out  to  the  north  and  is  generally  thickest  in  its  most 
southern  outcrops.  It  is  exposed  along  the  north  face  of  these  mountains 
and  on  many  of  their  outliers  and  in  some  places  it  forms  a  prominent  es- 
carpment. It  is  also  exposed  on  the  south  side  of  the  Boston  Mountains  in 
Franklin,  Johnson,  and  Newton  counties.  It  is  composed  of  massive  gray 
fossiliferous  limestone,  parts  of  which  are  probably  pure  enough  for  making 
lime.  In  the  reports  of  the  Arkansas  Geological  Survey  it  is  known  as  the 
"Archimedes  limestone,"  because  of  the  presence  of  Archimedes,  an  easily 
recognized  bryozoan,  the  screwlike  stems  of  which  are  common  on  the 
weathered  surface  of  the  rock. 

Pennsylvania!!  Series 

Morrow  group. — Under  the  name  Morrow  group  are  included  several 
beds  of  limestone,  sandstone,  and  shale,  which  vary  much  in  thickness,  ar- 
rangement, and  character,  and  are  of  but  little  topographic  prominence. 
They  lie  just  below  the  sandstone  of  the  "Millstone  grit"  of  the  Arkansas 
Geological  Survey,  and,  as  a  rule,  form  the  middle  part  of  the  northern  es- 
carpment of  the  Boston  Mountains.  South  of  Batesville,  near  Jamestown, 
these  beds  have  a  total  thickness  of  about  200  feet,  while  at  places  farther 
west  they  are  about  400  feet  thick. 

To  the  lower  part  of  the  group  the  name  Hale  formation  has  been  ap- 
plied, and  to  the  upper  part  the  name  Bloyd  shale  has  been  applied.  The 
Hale  formation  is  composed  of  conglomerate,  sandstone,  limestone,  and 
shale,  and  is  known  to  vary  in  thickness  from  80  to  300  feet.  The  Bloyd 
shale  is  composed  mainly  of  black  clay  shale,  but  partly  of  limestone  which 
occurs  in  two  beds,  the  upper  being  known  as  the  Kessler  limestone  member 
and  the  lower  the  Brentwood  limestone  member.  The  shale  is  about  200 
feet  thick  in  southern  Washington  County  and  northern  Crawford  County, 
but  from  this  part  of  the  State  it  thins  to  the  north  and  east  and  is  known 
to  be  absent  in  parts  of  Madison,  Carroll,  Boone,  and  Newton  counties. 

A  coal  bed,  as  much  as  14  inches  thick  occurs  in  the  Bloyd  shale  In 
Washington  County  and  has  been  worked  on  a  small  scale. 

Winslow  formation. — The  Winslow  formation  makes  the  summit  and 
southern  slopes  of  the  Boston  Mountains,  except  in  the  deeper  ravines 
where  older  rocks  have  been  exposed.  Rocks  of  this  formation  also  occur 
on  the  tops  of  the  outliers  immediately  north  of  the  Boston  Mountains. 

The  formation  consists  of  beds  of  sandstone  and  shale,  with  a  few  thin 
local  layers  of  limestone.  The  sandstone  beds  range  in  thickness  from  3 
feet  to  more  than  50  feet.  One  of  these  beds,  and  in  places  two,  near  the 
base  of  the  formation,  are  conglomeratic,  containing  waterworn  quartz  peb- 
bles of  small  size  and  form  prominent  bluffs  along  the  mountain  slopes. 
These  gritty  beds  at  and  near  the  base  of  the  Winslow  formation  were 
described  by  the  Arkansas  Geological  Survey  in  the  report  on  Washington 
County  as  the  "Millstone  grit."  The  shales,  which  constitute  probably  75 
per  cent  of  the  formation,  are  as  a  rule  black  and  carbonaceous,  though  less 
so  than  the  shales  of  the  Morrow  group.  Coal  occurs  within  this  formation 
but  only  in  beds  too  thin  to  be  profitably  worked.  The  Winslow  formation 
in  the  Boston  Mountain  region  extends  up  to  the  base  of  the  series  of  rocks 
that  contain  the  workable  coal  beds  in  the  Arkansas  coal  field.  Its  total 
thickness  in  the  southern  part  of  the  region  where  it  is  greatest  is  estimated 
to  be  more  than  1,500  feet. 


Ouachita  Mountain  Region 

CAMBRIAN  SYSTEM. 

Collier  shale. — The  Collier  shale  is  exposed  in  a  nearly  east-west  valley 
area,  1  to  3  miles  wide  and  about  15  miles  long,  lying  between  Womble  and 
Mount  Ida,  Montgomery  County.  The  entire  thickness  of  the  formation  is 
not  known  as  the  base  is  not  revealed,  but  the  exposed  beds  are  probably 


26  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

at  least  500  feet  thick.  The  formation  is  composed  mostly  of  bluish-black 
soft  graphic,  intensely  crumpled  clay  shale,  but  contains  some  bluish-gray 
or  black  limestone  and  a  few  thin  layers  of  dark  chert.  No  fossils  have 
been  found  in  the  formation.  Very  little  or  none  of  the  limestone  is  suitable 
for  making  lime,  and  none  of  it  is  suitable  for  building  stone  on  account  of 
the  fractured  condition  of  the  limestone  and  the  occurrence  of  quartz  and 
calcite  veins  in  it. 


ORDOVICIAN   SYSTEM. 

Crystal  Mountain  sandstone. — The  Crystal  Mountain  sandstone,  850  feet 
thick,  crops  out  in  Montgomery  County  and  produces  high  rugged  ridges 
which  extend  westward  from  the  vicinity  of  Crystal  Springs  to  a  point  about 
15  miles  west  of  Mount  Ida.  A  group  of  these  ridges  south  of  Mount  Ida 
is  known  as  the  Crystal  Mountains  and  from  them  the  sandstone  takes  its 
name.  The  formation  is  composed  of  coarse-grained  massive  gray  to  brown 
sandstone  but  at  the  base  there  is  a  conglomerate  with  limestone  and  chert 
pebbles  that  have  been  derived  from  the  Collier  shale.  Clusters  of  quartz 
crystals  are  found  in  fissures  at  numerous  places  and  many  are  sold  at  Hot 
Springs,  Garland  County,  for  museum  specimens  and  for  use  as  ornaments. 
The  sandstone  is  used  as  a  building  stone  at  Mount  Ida. 

The  formation  has  not  yielded  any  fossils  but,  for  reasons  which  can 
not  be  presented  in  this  short  paper,  it  is  tentatively  assigned  to  the  Ordo- 
vician  system. 

Mazarn  shale. — The  Mazarn  shale,  1,000  feet  thick,  takes  its  name  from 
its  occurrence  on  the  headwaters  of  Mazarn  Creek  in  Montgomery  County. 
It  is  exposed  at  other  places  in  this  county  and  outcrops  of  it  are  known  to 
extend  as  far  east  as  Blakely  Mountain  in  Garland  County.  The  outcrops 
everywhere  occur  in  valleys.  The  formation  consists  of  shale  and  of  small 
amounts  of  limestone  and  sandstone.  The  shale  is  ribboned,  consisting  of 
alternating  black  and  green  layers  that  split  at  an  angle  with  the  bedding. 
Fossil  graptolites  of  Lower  Ordovician  age  have  been  found  at  a  few  places. 

Blakely  sandstone. — The  Blakely  sandstone,  0  to  500  feet  thick,  consists 
of  shale  in  alternating  black  and  green  layers  and  hard  gray  sandstone.  The 
shale  constitutes  75  per  cent  of  the  whole,  but  the  sandstone,  which  pro- 
duces high  ridges,  is  the  prominent  feature.  The  ridges  formed  by  this 
sandstone  extend  in  an  east-northeastward  direction  from  Womble,  Mont- 
gomery County,  across  Garland  County,  into  Saline  County.  A  group  of 
these  ridges  in  Garland  County  is  known  as  Blakely  Mountain  and  from  it 
the  sandstone  has  been  named.  The  formation  is  absent  at  most  places  west 
of  Womble  and  at  probably  all  places  north  of  that  town.  Graptolites  of 
Lower  Ordovician  age  have  been  found  in  shale  in  the  formation  in  Blakely 
Mountain.  Quartz  crystals  are  found  in  fissures  in  the  sandstone  but  they 
are  not  so  numerous  as  they  are  in  the  Crystal  Mountain  sandstone. 

Womble  shale— The  Womble  shale,  250  to  1,000  feet  thick,  is  exposed 
in  wide  and  narrow  valley  areas  from  the  vicinity  of  Big  Fork,  Polk  County, 
across  Montgomery,  Garland,  and  Saline  counties,  into  Pulaski  County.  The 
name  for  it  is  taken  from  the  town  of  Womble.  part  of  which  is  situated  on 
the  base  of  the  shale.  The  formation  consists  of  black  graphitic  shale,  with 
thin  beds  of  sandstone  near  the  base  and  beds  of  limestone  near  the  top. 
The  shale  near  the  base  is  composed  of  black  and  green  layers  that  split 
at  an  angle  with  the  bedding  and  thus  show  ribboned  cleavage  surfaces. 
Gractolites  of  Lower  Ordovician  age  are  numerous.  Some  of  the  limestone 
has  been  used  for  making  lime  for  local  use,  near  Cedar  Glades,  Garland 
County,  and  Black  Springs,  Montgomery  County. 

Bigfork  chert. — The  Bigfork  chert  is  exposed  over  large  and  small  areas 
between  Shady  Postoffice,  Polk  -County,  and  Pulaski  County,  and  in  such 
areas  it  produces  numerous  low  steep-sided  knobs.  The  formation  is  esti- 
mated to  be  700  feet  thick  in  Garland  County  and  other  counties  farther  west, 
where  it  has  been  studied  more  extensively  than  elsewhere.  It  is  composed 
of  thin-bedded  gray  to  black,  much  shattered  chert  interbedded  with  thin 
layers  of  black  shale.  The  fossils  that  have  been  found  consist  manly  of 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS  27 

graptolites.    The  chert  is  excellently  adapted  for  road  building  and  is  being 
used  for  this  purpose  at  Hot  Springs. 

Polk  Creek  shale.— The  Polk  Creek  shale,  0  to  200  feet  thick,  is  exposed 
on  steep  rocky  slopes  and  in  narrow  valleys  in  close  association  with  the 
outcrops  of  the  Bigfork  chert,  and  so  far  as  known  is  absent  in  comparatively 
small  areas.  It  is  a  black  graphic  shale;  in  parts  it  is  siliceous  and  in  others 
clay  shale.  It  has  been  prospected  for  roofing  slate  near  Big  Fork,  Polk 
County,  and  near  Washita,  Montgomery  County.  Graptolites  are  abundant 
in  the  shale. 


SILURIAN  SYSTEM. 

Blaylock  sandstone. — The  Blaylock  sandstone  is  exposed  in  a  small  area 
near  Bog  Springs,  Polk  County,  and  in  other,  though  not  large  areas  as  far 
east  as  the  vicinity  of  Malvern.  Along  some  of  its  most  southern  outcrops 
it  has  an  estimated  thickness  of  1,500  feet,  but  it  thins  so  rapidly  to  the 
north  that  it  is  not  present  3  or  4  miles  north  of  the  places  where  it  has  the 
above-estimated  thickness.  It  is  composed  of  fine-grained  light-gray  to 
dark-gray  or  green  compact  sandstone  and  buff  to  dark  shale.  Its  areas  of 
outcrop  are  very  rocky,  occurring  on  mountain  slopes  and  in  narrow  valleys. 
One  small  collection  of  fossils,  consisting  entiely  of  graptolites,  has  been 
obtained  at  the  south  base  of  Blaylock  Mountain,  in  the  southwest  corner 
of  Montgomery  County. 

Missouri  Mountain  slate. — The  Missouri  Mountain  slate.  0  to  300  feet 
thick,  is  exposed  on  or  near  high  ridges  from  Polk  County  east  to  Pulaski 
County,  but  is  absent  at  places  near  Mount  Ida.  It  is  a  red  and  green  clay 
slate  but  at  places  is  dark  colored.  Thus  far  it  has  not  yielded  any  fossils. 
It  has  been  extensively  prospected  for  commercial  slate  at  several  places 
near  Hawes  and  Bear,  Garland  County,  and  at  many  places  in  Polk  and 
Montgomery  counties,  and  has  been  quarried  for  switchboards  at  Slatington 
in  the  last-named  county. 


DEVONIAN  SYSTEM. 

Arkansas  novaculite. — The  Arkansas  novaculite  is  widely  exposed  in 
Polk  County  and  the  other  counties  between  it  and  Pulaski  County.  It  is 
exposed  in  more  or  le^s  parallel  and  nearly  eastward-trending  belts,  whose 
narrowness  is  due  to  the  steep  dips  of  the  beds.  Owing  to  the  narrowness 
of  these  belts  and  to  the  greater  resistance  of  the  novaculite  (a  variety  of 
chert)  to  weathering  than  the  adjacent  strata  above  and  below,  its  outcrops 
stand  up  as  sharp  ridges,  whereas  both  the  older  and  younger  rocks  form 
valleys.  Many  rock  ledges  occur  on  the  crests  of  the  ridges  and  in  the 
water  gaps. 

The  formation  is  thickest  in  its  southernmost  outcrops,  where  the  thick- 
ness at  many  if  not  at  most  places  is  about  900  feet,  but  it  tkins  to  the  north 
and  is  absent  at  places  near  Mount  Ida,  and  probably  at  other  places.  It  has 
been  studied  more  extensively  in  Garland  and  Hot  Spring  counties  and  the 
other  counties  farther  west  than  elsewhere  in  the  State.  There  it  consists 
of  three  lithologic  divisions — a  lower  one.  made  up  almost  entirely  of  massive 
white  novaculite;  a  middle  one,  consisting  mainly  of  thin  layers  of  dense 
dark-colored  novaculite  interbedded  with  shale;  and  an  upper  one  consist- 
ing chiefly  of  massive,  highly  calcareous  novaculite.  These  divisions  vary 
in  thickness  and  character  from  place  to  place. 

The  lower  division  is  commonly  from  150  to  300  feet  thick,  though  at 
some  places  the  thickness  is  greater.  It  is  made  up  almost  wholly  of  typical 
novaculite,  whose  white  color  and  massiveness  make  it  the  most  conspicuous 
part  of  the  formation.  In  fact,  it  is  this  part  that  usually  occupies  the  crests 
of  the  ridges.  The  beds  are  from  2  to  10  feet  thick  and  are  commonly  even 
bedded.  The  massive  novaculite  is  usually  dense,  gritty,  fine  grained,  homo- 
geneous, highly  siliceous,  translucent  on  thin  edge's,  and  white  with  a  bluish 
tint,  but  where  unweathered  it  is  bluish  gray.  It  has  an  uneven  to  conchoidal 
fracture  and  a  waxy  luster  like  that  of  chaledony.  Though  the  bulk  of  the 


28  MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS 

rock  is  white,  much  of  it  varies  in  shades  of  red,  gray,  green,  yellow,  and 
brown,  and  in  many  places  it  is  black.  These  shades  are  produced  by  iron 
and  manganese  oxides  and  possibly  in  some  places  by  carbonaceous  matter. 
The  rock  contains  a  little  calcite,  but  exposures  of  the  calcerous  stone  are 
not  common  and  have  been  found  only  in  stream  beds.  Joints  are  numerous 
and  run  in  all  directions,  but  the  most  prominent  joints  are  normal  to  the 
bedding.  Many  of  them  are  filled  by  white  quartz  veins  which  are  usually 
so  thin  as  to  be  inconspicuous.  Slickensides  along  both  joints  and  bedding 
planes  are  common. 

The  middle  part  of  the  formation  consists  chiefly  of  interbedded  nova- 
culite  and  shale.  The  novaculite  is  similar  to  that  in  the  lower  massive  part 
of  the  formation,  except  that  the  common  color  is  dark  gray  to  black  and  that 
the  beds  are  much  thinner,  usually  between  1  inch  and  6  inches  thick.  A  con- 
glomerate at  the  base  of  this  division  was  observed  at  a  number  of  places. 
It  consists  of  small  rounded  and  subangular  pebbles  of  novaculite  in  a  sandy 
and  dense  flinty  matrix.  The  shale  ordinarily  observed  is  black,  weathering 
to  a  buff  or  brown  color,  but  some  of  it  is  red. 

The  upper  part  of  the  formation  ranges  from  about  20  to  125  feet  in 
thickness  and  is  thickest  along  the  southernmost  exposures.  It  consists 
chiefly  of  massive,  highly  calcareous  light-gray  to  bluish-black  novaculite 
which  is  so  resistent  that  at  some  places  where  it  and  the  accompanying 
beds  of  the  formation  are  not  overturned  it  produces  low  ridges  or  knobs 
on  the  slopes  of  the  higher  ridges.  Some  thin  beds  of  ordinary  dense  chal- 
cedonic  novaculite  like  that  so  characteristic  of  the  middle  and  lower  parts 
of  the  formation  are  also  included.  Fine  lamination  parallel  with  the  bed- 
ding is  common.  On  weathering,  the  more  calcareous  rock  loses  its  calcium 
carbonate  becomes  white  or  cream-colored  and  porous  and  soft  enough  to 
receive  impressions  from  the  hammer  without  breaking. 

Novaculite  from  the  lower  part  of  the  formation  is  quarried  on  North 
Mountain,  Indian  Mountain,  and  near  Summit,  Garland  County,  for  oil  stones 
or  whetstones.  It  is  also  quarried  on  North  Mountain,  Garland  County,  and 
near  Butterfield,  Hot  Spring  County,  for  use  in  concrete.  Deposits  of  tripoli 
derived  from  the  novaculite  have  been  prospected  near  Caddo  Gap,  Mont- 
gomery County  and  near  Langley,  Pike  County.  Manganese  oxides  occur 
in  the  novaculite  and  much  prospecting  for  manganese  ore  has  been  done 
in  Pike,  Polk  and  Montgomery  counties. 

The  lower  part  of  the  formation  is  considered  to  be  of  Devonian  age; 
but  the  middle  and  upper  parts  are  doubtfully  placed  in  the  Devonian  sys- 
tem, as  there  is  a  possibility  that  these  two  parts  may  be  of  Mississippian 
age.  The  only  fossils  that  have  been  found  in  the  formation  in  Arkansas  are 
conodonts,  linguloids,  sporangites,  and  fossil  wood,  all  of  which  were  obtained 
from  the  middle  and  upper  parts  of  the  formation. 


CARBONIFEROUS  SYSTEM. 

Mississippian  Series 

Hot  Springs  sandstone. — The  Hot  Springs  sandstone  is  exposed  on  high 
mountain  ridges  at  and  near  the  city  of  Hot  Springs.  It  is  simply  a  lenticular 
formation,  and  so  far  as  known  is  not  present  except  near  Hot  Springs.  The 
maximum  thickness  is  200  feet.  The  formation  is  composed  of  gray  hard 
quartzitic  sandstone,  and  at  the  base  there  is  a  conglomerate  which  is  as 
much  as  30  feet  thick.  The  pebbles  are  of  all  sizes  up  to  6  inches  in  diam- 
eter and  consist  mostly  of  novaculite. 

Stanley  shale. — The  Stanley  shale  is  the  surface  rock  in  large  and  small 
areas  in  Polk,  Sevier,  Howard,  Pike,  Montgomery,  Clark,  Hot  Spring,  and 
Garland  counties,  in  the  southern  part  of  Yell  County,  in  the  northern  part 
of  Saline  County,  and  in  the  west-central  part  of  Pulaski  County.  Some  of 
the  largest  areas  are  intermontane  basins  like  the  one  in  which  Mena  is  sit- 
uated and  the  one  in  which  the  southern  part  of  Hot  Springs  is  situated. 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS  .        29 

whereas  the  other  large  areas  form  a  part  of  the  Athens  plateau  which 
is  south  of  the  Ouachita  Mountains.  The  thickness,  as  measured  near  Glen- 
wood,  Pike  County,  is  6,000  feet,  and  it  is  perhaps  equally  as  great  at  all 
other  places. 

The  formation  is  composed  of  bluish-black  and  black  fissile  clay  shale 
and  fine-grained  compact  greenish-gray  cr  bluish-gray  sandstone.  Several 
tuff  beds,  as  much  as  85  feet  thick,  occur  near  the  base  in  Polk  County.  The 
upper  part  of  the  formation  in  Arkansas  has  yielded  a  single  collection  of 
plants  including  some  ferns.  Some  of  the  shale  at  the  base  has  been  altered 
to  slate  and  this  has  been  prospected  for  commercial  slate  in  Polk,  Mont- 
gomery, and  Garland  counties.  Quartz  veins  in  the  formation  contain  lead, 
zinc,  and  antimony  minerals  near  Gillham,  Sevier  County. 

Jackford  sandstone. — The  Jackford  sandstone,  5,000  to  6,600  feet  thick, 
forms  broad  low  nearly  east-west  ridges  on  the  Athens  plateau  south  of 
the  Ouachita  Mountains.  These  ridges  are  forested  with  yellow  pine  and 
among  them  are  Grindstone  Mountain  extending  westward  from  the  vicin- 
ity of  Arkadelphia,  Clark  County,  and  several  ridges  that  are  south  of  Kirby, 
Pike  county.  Furthermore,  the  formation  is  widely  exposed  in  the  Ouachita 
Mountains  themselves.  In  fact,  its  outcrops  form  the  highest  and  some 
of  the  most  rugged  mountain  ridges  of  the  Ouachitas.  Some  of  these  are 
Black  Fork,  Rich,  Fourche,  Mill  Creek,  and  Irons  Fork  mountains  near 
Mena,  Polk  County;  Muddy  Creek  Mountain  near  Washita,  Montgomery 
County;  and  Blue  Mountain  near  Cedar  Glades,  Garland  County.  In  the 
southern  exposures  of  the  formation  it  is  composed  of  massive  compact 
fine-grained  to  coarse-grained  light-gray  sandstone  with  some  mill  stone  grit, 
especially  in  its  basal  part,  and  with  a  small  amount  of  green  shale,  whereas 
in  many  of  its  northern  exposures  the  shale  forms  the  greater  part  of  the 
formation  and  the  sandstone  a  minor  part  of  it.  Indeterminable  invertebrate 
fossils  have  been  found  in  the  millstone  grit  at  the  base. 

Pennsylvanian   Series 

Atoka  formation. — The  Atoka  formation  is  exposed  in  two  narrow  east- 
west  belts  between  Kirby  and  Murfreesboro,  Pike  County,  and  another  belt, 
which  is  probably  one  of  these,  follows  the  south  base  of  Chalybeate  Moun- 
tain, 5  miles  south  of  Amity,  Clark  County.  The  thickness  of  the  formation 
in  this  part  of  the  State  is  estimated  to  be  6,000  feet.  The  Atoka  is  also  ex- 
posed in  large  areas  in  Scott,  Yell,  and  Perry  counties  and  the  west-central 
part  of  Pulaski  County.  Two  of  the  principal  ridges  formed  by  it  are  Dutch 
Creek  and  Danville  mountains.  The  formation  in  Yell  County  is  estimated 
to  be  7,800  feet  thick.  Here,  as  elsewhere  in  the  State,  it  is  composed  of 
hard  light-gray  to  brown  sandstone  and  an  equal  or  greater  amount  of  black 
clay  shale. 


Arkansas  Valley  Region 

CARBONIFEROUS  SYSTEM. 
Mississippian    Series 

Jackfork  sandstone. — The  Jackfork  sandstone,  as  has  been  previously 
stated,  is  composed  of  shale  and  a  smaller  amount  of  sandstone  in  its  north- 
ernmost outcrops  in  the  Ouachita  Mountain  region,  and  it  is  doubtless  repre- 
sented by  similar  strata  in  some  areas  on  the  south  side  of  the  Arkansas 
Valley. 

Pennsylvanian   Series 

Atoka  formation. — The  Atoka  formation  comprises  a  considerable  part  of 
the  thick  series  of  sandstones  and  shales  that  underlie  the  coal-bearing  rocks 
in  the  Arkansas  coal  field.  This  series  of  rocks  was  referred  to  in  the  pub- 
lications of  the  Arkansas  Geological  Survey  as  the  "Lower  or  Barren  Coal 
Measures."  The  uppermost  formation  in  this  series  is  known  as  the  Atoka 
formation  and  contains  beds  which  are  equivalent  to  part  of  the  Winslow 
formation  of  the  Boston  Mountains.  The  Atoka  is  estimated  to  be  about 
7,000  feet  thick  and  is  composed  of  sandstone  separated  by  thick  beds  of 


30       .  MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS 

black  clay  shale.  It  has  not  yielded  any  fossils  in  Arkansas.  The  sandstones 
form  ridges  and  the  shales  underlie  valleys  and  lowlands.  Sandstone  beds 
in  the  formation  supply  the  gas  from  the  Massard  Prairie  gas  field  near  Fort 
Smith,  the  Coops  Prairie  gas  field  near  Mansfield,  and  the  Kibler  gas  field 
near  Van  Buren. 

Hartshorne  sandstone. — The  Hartshorne  sandstone  lies  at  the  base  of 
the  productive  coal-bearing  rocks  of  the  Arkansas  coal  field.  It  is  known 
to  have  a  great  areal  extent,  and  is  found  cropping  out  around  the  edges 
of  the  coal  bearing  rocks  from  the  east  end  of  the  Arkansas  coal  field  west- 
ward into  Oklahoma.  It  is  100  to  300  feet  thick,  and  contains  minor  beds  of 
shale  in  its  central  and  upper  parts.  An  important  coal  bed  known  as  the 
Hartshorne  coal  rests  on  the  top  of  the  sandstone. 

McAlester  group. — Above  the  Hartshorne  sandstone  there  is  in  the  pro- 
ductive coal-bearing  rocks  a  series  of  shales  and  sandstones  with  a  num- 
ber of  beds  of  workable  coal.  The  McAlester  group  is  divisible  into  three 
formations — (1)  a  lower,  known  as  the  Spadra  shale,  consisting  of  three  or 
more  beds  of  coal  and  minor  strata  of  sandstone;  (2)  a  middle,  called  the 
Fort  Smith  formation,  composed  chiefly  of  sandstone  and  shaly  sandstone 
beds  with  one  or  more  workable  beds  of  coal;  (3)  an  upper,  described  as 
the  Paris  shale,  consisting  partly  of  beds  of  sandy  shale  with  some  sand- 
stone and  one  or  more  workable  beds  of  coal.  The  Spadra  shale  is  4001 
to  500  feet  thick,  the  Fort  Smith  formation  375  to  425  feet,  and  the  Paris 
shale  600  to  700  feet.  Numerous  collections  of  fossil  plants  have  been  ob- 
tained from  the  McAlester  group. 

Savanna  formation. — Overlying  the  McAlester  group  there  is  in  the  pro- 
ductive coal  series  a  formation  consisting  of  several  sandstone  members  sep- 
arated by  shales.  This  is  known  as  the  Savanna  formation.  It  occurs  in 
Arkansas  only  in  the  tops  and  upper  slopes  of  Poteau,  Sugarloaf,  Short,  and1 
Magazine  mountains.  That  part  of  the  Savanna  exposed  in  Arkansas  is  es- 
timated not  to  exceed  1,000  feet,  and  constitutes  approximately  the  lower 
two-thirds  of  the  entire  formation,  which  is  present  farther  west  in  Okla- 
homa. 

The  rocks  of  this  formation,  as  well  as  the  other  rocks  of  the  produc- 
tive coal  series,  are  all  more  or  less  folded,  so  that  the  shale  and  sandstone 
outcrops  depend  on  the  character  and  direction  of  these  folds  and  can 
therefore  be  determined  only  after  a  study  of  the  structure  of  the  region, 
It  can  be  said,  however,  that  the  shale  outcrops  generally  lie  in  the  valleys- 
parallel  to  the  ridges  which  are  formed  by  sandstone. 


Gulf  Coastal  Plain 


CRETACEOUS   SYSTEM. 
Lower  Cretaceous  Series 

Trinity  formation. — The  Trinity  formation  is  exposed  in  a  belt,  a  few 
miles  wide,  extending  from  a  point  near  Delight  westward  across  Pike,  How- 
ard and  Sevier  counties  and  thence  into  Oklahoma.  It  has  a  thickness  of 
over  600  feet  at  a  locality  2  miles  north  of  Center  Point,  Howard  County^ 
and  probably  has  a  like  thickness  farther  west  in  Arkansas,  but  it  thins 
out  near  the  east  border  of  Pike  County.  It  consists  predominantly  of 
clay  but  includes  subordinate  beds  of  sand,  gravel,  and  limestone.  The  lime- 
stone contains  fossil  oysters  and  other  shells  and  occurs  in  two  beds,  the 
Dierks  limestone  lentil  and  the  De  Queen  limestone  member,  both  of  which 
are  exposed  in  narrow  belts.  The  De  Queen  limestone,  the  higher  of  the 
two,  is  near  the  middle  of  the  formation.  It  ranges  in  thickness  from  a 
feather  edge  to  72  feet,  and  its  outcrop  extends  from  Plaster  Bluff,  near 
Murfreesboro,  westward  through  De  Queen  into  Oklahoma.  It  is  not  pres- 
ent east  of  Plaster  Bluff.  The  Dierks  limestone  at  some  places  is  50  feet 
above  the  base  of  the  formation  and  at  others  is  probably  200  feet  above 
the  base.  Its  thickness  ranges  from  a  feather  edge  to  40  feet.  Its  outcrop 
extends  from  a  locality  about  2  miles  north  of  Delight  westward  to  Cossatot 
River,  where  it  thins  out.  The  gravel  also  occurs  in  two  beds  that  attain 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS  31 

a  thickness  of  100  feet.  The  lower  of  the  two  gravels  is  at  the  base  of  the 
formation.  It  is  called  the  Pike  gravel  member  and  is  exposed  in  an  almost 
continuous  though  irregular  belt  from  the  west  side  of  the  State  to  the  east 
end  of  the  outcrop  of  the  Trinity.  The  upper  gravel,  the  Ultima  Thule  gravel 
lentil  is  above  the  Dierks  limestone  and  is  exposed  in  an  irregular  belt  ex- 
tending from  Cossatot  River  westward  into  Oklahoma.  These  four  lentils 
and  members  and  the  interbedded  sands  and  clays  of  the  Trinity  have  a 
slight  southward  dip.  Although  the  Trinity  occupies  a  nearly  horizontal  po- 
sition it  rests  upon  the  truncated  upturned  edges  of  steeply  dipping  shales 
and  sandstones  of  Carboniferous  age,  which,  however,  form  a  smooth  floor 
that  has  only  minor  irregularities  and  undulations.  A  pronounced  uncon- 
formity therefore  occurs  at  the  base  of  the  Trinity. 

The  above-mentioned  gravels  are  composed  mostly  of  novaculite  pebbles. 
They  are  widely  distributed  and  constitute  a  very  large  supply  of  good  road 
material.  Gypsum  occurs  in  the  De  Queen  limestone  member  and  has  been 
prospected  in  a  small  way  near  Plaster  Bluff.  Limestone  in  this  member 
has  been  used  for  rough  building  stone  at  De  Queen,  but  neither  it  nor  the 
Dierks  limestone  is  pure  enough  for  making  lime. 

Good  land  limestone. — The  Goodland  limestone,  0  to  25  feet  thick,  is  a 
chalky  fossiliferous  limestone  and  is  exposed  on  Little  River,  near  Cerro 
•Gordo.  Little  River  County.  It  is  not  exposed  east  of  that  place. 

Washita  group. — The  Washita  group  consists  of  calcareous  clays  and 
thin  beds  of  limestone  and  is  exposed  over  a  small  area  in  the  northwest 
corner  of  Little  River  County  where  it  has  a  total  thickness  of  over  250  feet. 

Upper  Cretaceous  Series 

Bingen  formation. — The  Bingen  formation  receives  its  name  from  the 
village  of  Bingen,  Hempstead  County.  Its  area  of  outcrop  is  a  belt,  narrow 
to  the  east  and  wide  to  the  west,  and  extends  in  a  west-southwestward  direc- 
tion from  the  vicinity  of  Clear  Spring,  Clark  County,  across  Pike,  Hemp- 
stead,  Howard,  and  Sevier  counties.  The  formation  ranges  in  thickness 
from  a  feather  edge  to  580  feet,  being  thickest  to  the  southwest.  It  is  com- 
posed of  sand,  clay,  and  gravel,  and  near  Tokio  and  farther  east  contains 
beds  to  which  the  name  Tokio  sand  member  has  been  applied.  This  mem- 
ber is  in  fact  the  only  part  of  the  formation  exposed  east  of  Little  Missouri 
River  and  is  the  only  part  that  contains  beds  of  quartz  sand. 

The  gravel  in  the  Bingen  occurs  in  several  beds.  The  southward  slop- 
ing plateau  on  which  Center  Point,  Howard  County,  is  located  and  a  similar 
plateau  west  of  Locke^burg,  Sevier  County,  owe  their  preservation  and  prom- 
inence to  these  gravels.  The  thickest  and  also  the  most  widely  distributed 
bed  which  is  as  much  as  60  feet  thick,  is  at  the  base.  These  different  gravel 
deposits  resemble  one  another  as  well  as  those  of  the  Trinity  formation  and 
are  well  adapted  for  road  making.  They  are  composed  of  partly  rounded  to 
well-rounded  pebbles  usually  1  inch  or  less  in  diameter,  and  most  of  the 
pebbles  are  novaculite. 

Among  the  other  kinds  of  pebbles  there  are  various  types  of  igneous 
rocks,  which  are  similar  to  or  identical  with  some  of  the  crystalline  rocks  of 
Arkansas.  These  are  found  in  the  basal  part  of  the  formation  from  the 
vicinity  of  Murfreesboro  westward. 

A  greenish  cross-bedded  arkosic  sand  composed  of  kaolinized  feldspar 
and  a  less  amount  of  other  minerals  is  widely  distributed  west  and  north- 
west of  Tokio  and  Highland.  Besides  the  sand  just  described  the  for- 
mation contains  red,  light-colored  and  dark-colored  clays  and  quartz  sand 
The  light-colored  clays  are  in  beds  reaching  a  thickness  of  5  to  6  feet  and 
consist  of  plastic  ball  clays  and  nonplastic  kaolins.  A  5-foot  bed  of  kaolin 
in  the  NE.  %SE.  %  sec.  24,  T.  8  S.,  R.  25  W.,  is  reported  to  be  fullers  earth. 
Some  of  the  clays  contain  fossil  plants. 

Brownstown  marl. — The  Brownstown  marl  is  the  surface  formation  in  a 
belt  a  few  miles  wide  extending  in  an  east-northeastward  direction  from  the 
vicinity  of  Brownstown,  Sevier  County,  to  the  vicinity  of  Hollywood,  Clark 
County.  In  the  western  part  of  the  belt  where  it  is  thickest  it  attains  a 
thickness  of  650  feet.  It  is  a  blue  or  gray  calcareous  clay  containing  many 
fossil  oysters  and  is  characterized  by  the  presence  of  the  large  oyster  Exo- 


32  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

gyra  ponderosa,  whence  it  has  sometimes  been  called  the  "Exogyra  ponde- 
rosa  marl."  The  soil  derived  from  the  formation,  when  not  mixed  with  sur- 
ficial  deposits,  is  black  and  waxy,  but  the  subsoil  is  yellow. 

Austin  ("Annona")  chalk. — The  Austin  chalk  consists  of  white  chalk, 
which  at  White  Cliffs,  Sevier  County,  has  a  thickness  of  over  100  feet,  but 
thins  out  rapidly  to  the  east,  disappearing,  entirely  before  reaching  Okolona, 
Clark  County,  where  it  is  composed  only  of  chalky  marl.  To  the  west  out- 
crops are  found  at  Rocky  Comfort,  Little  River  County.  The  chalk  was 
formerly  used  in  the  manufacture  of  Portland  cement  at  White  Cliffs. 

Marlbrook  marl. — The  Marlbrook  marl  consists  of  blue,  chalky,  some- 
what glauconitic  marls,  which  are  impure  chalk  at  some  places.  The  most 
extensive  outcrops  of  this  formation  are  along  t^e  ridge  which  extends  from 
Marlbrook,  the  type  locality  in  Hempstead  County,  to  Saratoga,  in  southern 
Howard  County.  It  forms  a  stiff,  black  soil.  About  200  to  300  feet  above  the 
base  of  this  formation  is  a  very  chalky  layer  20  to  50  feet  thick,  which  has 
been  called  the  "Saratoga  chalk  marl"  or  the  "Saratoga  formation."  It  is 
exposed  in  the  Marlbrook-Saratoga  region  at  the  town  of  Okolona,  where  it 
is  called  "cistern  rock;"  at  Dobyville,  and  on  Little  and  Big  Deciper  creeks 
in  Clark  County.  The  thickness  of  the  Marlbrook  marl  ranges  from  750  feet 
at  Texarkana  to  50  feet  or  less  at  Arkadelphia. 

Nacatoch  sand. — Above  the  Marlbrook  marl  is  a  series  of  sandy  beds 
which  are  of  vast  economic  importance  to  a  strip  of  country  along  the  Mis- 
souri Pacific  Railway  between  Arkadelphia  and  Texarkana,  since  they  are  the 
source  of  the  main  water  supply  of  that  region.  Like  the  other  sandy  beds 
of  the  Cretaceous,  at  the  outcrop  they  are  distinguished  with  difficulty  from 
the  surficial  sands  that  mantle  the  region.  However,  the  thousands  of  wells 
which  have  been  sunk  to  this  horizon  prove  conclusively  that  the  outcrop 
of  this  bed  produces  the  belt  of  sandy  land  which  begins  on  Yellow  Creek 
south  of  Saratoga  and  extends,  with  interruptions  of  greater  or  less  im- 
portance, along  the  main  drainage  channels,  through  Washington,  De  Ann, 
Garlandville,  Nacatoch  Bluff,  and  Keyton,  and  finally  reaches  Ouachita  River 
at  High  Bluffs  above  Arkadelphia. 

Nacatoch  Bluff,  on  Little  Missouri  River,  in  Clark  County,  from  which 
the  sand  takes  its  name,  reveals  one  of  the  most  complete  exposures  occur- 
ring along  this  belt  and  shows  calcareous  and  quartzitic  rocks  which,  when 
encountered  in  wells,  are  called  "water  rocks." 

In  the  western  part  of  this  region  the  sands  are  rather  light  in  color, 
although  about  Hope  they  are  overlain  by  a  very  black  sandy  layer  3  to  15 
feet  thick,  and  have  an  aggregate  thickness  of  about  100  to  160  feet.  Toward 
Arkadelphia  the  sand  grows  darker  and  thinner.  In  the  well  of  the  Arkadel- 
phia Ice  and  Fuel  Co.  it  appears  to  extend  from  100  to  160  feet,  and  is  thor^- 
fore  about  60  feet  thick.  In  a  well  at  Prescott,  it  is  reported  to  be  176 
feet  thick.  It  is  apparently  178  feet  thick  in  a  well  at  Bodcaw,  Nevada 
County,  and  is  at  least  185  feet  thick  in  a  well  near  Fulton,  Hempstead 
County. 

Marls  encountered  in  wells  at  Little  Rock,  at  Cabot,  Lonoke  County, 
and  Beebe,  White  County,  contain  a  fauna  corresponding  in  age  to  the 
fauna  of  the  Nacatoch  sand.  There  are  small  exposures  of  beds  of  Upper 
Cretaceous  age  in  the  vicinity  of  Newark,  Independence  County,  and  the 
meager  fauna  found  in  the  beds  indicate  that  they  are  probably  of  the 
same  age  as  the  Nacatoch  sand. 

Arkadelphia  clay. — The  dark  laminated  clays  which  overlie  the  Nacatoch 
sand  form  the  "blue  dirt"  of  the  well  drillers  along  the  line  of  the  Missouri 
Pacific  Railway  from  Arkadelphia  to  Texarkana.  These  beds  contain  upper- 
most Cretaceous  fossils  for  100  to  200  feet  above  the  Nacatoch  sands,  the 
fossil-bearing  beds  being  well  developed  on  Yellow  Creek  3  to  4  miles  north- 
west of  Fulton,  5  to  6  miles  north  of  Hope,  north  and  northwest  of  Emmet, 
and  at  Arkadelphia.  Thus  far  no  fossils  have  been  found  in  the  upper  por- 
tion of  this  formation,  which  extends  without  any  apparent  break  to  the 
Eocene  sand  beds  forming  the  sandy  hills  south  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  Rail- 
way. This  absence  of  fossils,  together  with  the  fact  that  the  Midway 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS  33 

(Eocene)  formation,  though  commonly  characterized  by  limestones,  con- 
tains dark-colored  clays,  makes  the  exact  determination  of  the  top  of  the 
Cretaceous  in  this  section  particularly  difficult. 

The  total  thickness  of  the  Arkadelphia  clay,  excluding  the  beds  which 
appear  to  be  stratigraphically  Eocene,  is  from  200  to  300  feet  at  Arkadelphia, 
500  feet  at  Laneburg,  500  to  600  feet  at  Hope  and  Spring  Hill,  and  500  feet 
at  Texarkana. 


TERTIARY  SYSTEM. 

Eocene  Series 

Eocene  deposits,  including  in  ascending  order  the  Midway,  Wilcox,  Clai- 
borne,  and  Jackson  formation,  1,000  feet  or  more  in  aggregate  thickness, 
form  the  core  of  Crowley's  Ridge;  they  are  exposed  in  the  uplands  which 
occupy  much  of  south-central  Arkansas,  south  of  Little  Rock;  and  they  are 
exposed  in  small  areas  along  the  western  margin  of  the  Coastal  Plain  from 
Little  Rock  northeastward  to  the  southern  part  of  Independence  County. 
The  formations  of  Eocene  age  are  more  or  less  similar  in  character,  and 
comprise  sands,  clays,  marls,  and  some  limestones  and  workable  beds  of 
lignite.  These  beds  dip  gently  to  the  southeast;  they  are  all  more  or  less 
sandy;  and  but  few  of  them  are  hard  and  consolidated.  At  the  lignite  mines 
of  Ouachita  County,  however,  some  of  the  sands  are  indurated  to  very  com- 
pact sandstones,  and  at  some  places  in  Crowley's  Ridge  they  form  the  hard- 
est of  quartzites.  At  and  near  Piggot  in  Clay  County,  Benton  in  Saline 
County,  Malvern  in  Hot  Spring  County,  Fordyce  in  Dallas  County,  Lester  in 
Ouachita  County,  and  other  places  there  are  valuable  deposits  of  potter's 
clay  and  fire  clay. 

Pliocene  Series 

Gravels  and  sands,  possible  of  Pliocene  age,  occur  in  Crowley's  Ridge  and 
cover  the  foothills  of  Lawrence,  Independence,  and  probably  other  counties. 


QUATERNARY  SYSTEM. 

A  sheet  of  sedimentary  materials,  200  feet  or  less  thick,  which  consist 
of  sands,  clays,  and  gravels,  cover  the  Tertiary  area  of  the  State  and  some 
of  the  adjacent  Paleozoic  rocks  and  yield  large  quantities  of  water  which  is 
extensively  used  in  the  culture  of  rice.  The  country  lying  north  of  Arkansas 
River  and  east  of  the  Paleozoic  hills  belongs  mostly  to  the  Quaternary.  The 
lowest  strata  exposed  in  Crowley's  Ridge  belong  to  the  Eocene.  All  the  river 
bottoms  are  of  recent  origin,  while  the  loess,  140  feet  or  less  thick,  which 
caps  Crowley's  Ridge  and  likewise  the  river  terraces  and  second  bottoms  of 
all  the  important  streams  belong  to  the  Pleistocene. 


Bibliography 

The  list  of  reports  given  below  includes  only  those  that  were  used  in 
the  preparation  of  the  above  chapter  on  the  topography  and  geology  of  Ar- 
kansas. These  represent  a  very  small  percentage  of  the  total  number  of 
publications  on  the  geology  of  the  State.  A  complete  bibliography  of  the 
geology  of  the  State  by  J.  C.  Branner  was  published  in  1894  in  Volume  2 
of  the  Annual  Report  of  the  Arkansas  Geological  Survey  for  1891,  and  a  sec- 
ond bibliography  by  him,  listing  all  of  the  titles  up  to  1909,  was  published 
by  the  same  Survey. 

REFERENCES. 

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Ann.   Kept,  for  1890,  vol  2. 

1892.  Griswold,  L.  S.,  Whetstones  and  the  novaculites  of  Arkansas.     Arkansas 

Geol.  Survey  Ann.  Kept,  for  1890,  vol  3. 

1893.  Hopkins,  T.  C.,  Marbles  and  other  limestones:     Arkansas  Geol.   Survey 

Ann.  Kept,  for  1890,  vol.  4. 


34  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

1900.       Branner,  J.  C.,  The  lead  and  zinc  region  of  North  Arkansas:  Arkansas 
Geol.  Survey  Ann.  Kept,  for  1892,  vol.  5. 

1904.  Adams,  G.  I.,  Purdue,  A.  H.,  and  Burchard,  E.  F.,  Zinc  and  lead  deposits 

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Ulrich,  E.  O.,  Determination  and  correlation  of  formations  [of  Northern 
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1905.  Adams,  G.  I.  and  Ulrich,  E.  O.,  Description  of  the  Fayetteville  quadran- 

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gion, Missouri,  Kansas,  and  Oklahoma:  U.  S.  Geol.  Survey  Bull.   606. 
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1916.  Stephenson,   L.   W.,   and  Crider,   A.   F.,   Geology   and   ground   waters   of 

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1917.  Miser,    H.    D.,    Manganese   deposits    of   the   Caddo    Gap    and   De    Queen 

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try; Text  on  back  of  topographic  map.  Little  Rock  quadrangle, 
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Miser,  H.  D.,  and  Purdue,  A.  H.,  Gravel  deposits  of  the  Caddo  Gap  and 
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preparation  of  the  foregoing  chapter). 

,  Asphalt  deposits  and  oil  conditions  in  Southwestern  Ar- 
kansas: U.  S.  Geol.  Survey  Bull.  691,  pp.  271-292. 

Miser,  H.  D.,  Diamond-bearing  peridotite  in  Arkansas:  U.  S.  Geol.  Sur- 
vey Bull. 

,  Manganese  ore  deposits  of  the  Batesville  district,  Arkan- 
sas: U.  S.  Geol.  Survey  Bull. 

Purdue,  A.  H.,  and  Miser,  H.  D.,  Description  of  the  De  Queen  and  Caddo 
Gap  quadrangles:  U.  S.  Geol.  Survey,  Geol.  Atlas,  De  Queen-Caddo 
Gap  folio. 

.Description  of  the  Hot  Springs  special  quadrangle:  U.  S. 

Geol.  Survey,  Geol.  Atlas,  Hot  Springs  folio. 

Ulrich, 'E.  O.,  Description  of  the  Yellville  quadrangle:  U.  S.  Geol.  Sur- 
vey, Geol.  Atlas,  Yellville  folio. 


*The  numbers  in  this  column  are  the  dates  of  the  publication  of  the   re- 
ports. 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS 


35 


List  of  Principal  Arkansas  Minerals 
and  Their  Location  by  Counties 


NAME 
Antimony 
Asphalt 
Bauxite 
Chalk 
Clay 
Coal 

Copper 
Diamonds 
Fullers  Earth 
Glass  Sand 


Miniature   Mineral   Maps  of  Arkansas. 

COUNTIES   WHERE   FOUND 

Sevier  and  Howard. 

Pike  and  Sevier. 

Pulaski  and  Saline. 

Little  River. 

General. 

Pope,    Johnson,    Logan,    Yell,    Scott,   Franklin, 

Crawford  and  Sebastian. 

Carroll,  Polk  and  Pulaski. 

Pike. 

Saline. 

Pulaski,  Saline,  Izard,  Jefferson  and  Greene. 

Independence,  Carroll  and  Madison. 


Diamonds          Fuller's    Earth  Gas 


Gravel  Graphite  Granite 


Petroleum      Phosphate  Rock 


Silver 


Slate 


Zinc 


36 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 


NAME 
Graphite 

Granite 

Gypsum 

Iron 

Iron   Pyrites 

Kaolin 

Lead 

Lignite 

Limestone 

Manganese 

Marble 


Natural   Gas 
Novaculite  (Whetstone) 

Ochre 
Petroleum 
Pearls 
Phosphate  Rock 

Slate 

Soapstone 
Tripoli 

Zinc 


COUNTIES  WHERE  FOUND 
Hot  Spring,   Garland,  Montgomery  and  Wash- 
ington. 
Pulaski. 

Pike,  Howard  and  Saline. 
Lawrence  and  Sharp. 
Garland. 

Dallas,     Garland,     Hot    Spring,    Pike,     Saline, 
Ouachita  and  Pulaski. 

Baxter,  Benton,  Boone,  Carroll,  Marion,  New- 
ton, Searcy  and  Washington. 
Ouachita,  Clark,  Dallas  and  Poinsett. 
General  over  North  Arkansas. 
Independence,  Izard,  Sharp,  Pulaski,  Montgom- 
ery, Garland,  Polk,  Saline  and  Hot  Spring. 
Boone,  Marion,  Newton,  Searcy,  Izard,  Carroll, 
Independence,  Lawrence,  Sharp  and  Washing- 
ton. 

Crawford,  Scott,  Sebastian,  Union  and  Washing- 
ton. 

Hot    Spring,    Garland,    Montgomery,   Pike    and 
Polk. 

Drew,  Clay  and  Pulaski. 
Union  and  Ouachita. 

From  Bed  of  White  River  and  its  Tributaries. 
Independence,    Izard,    Stone,    Searcy,    Baxter, 
Marion,  Newton,  Boone  and  Carroll. 
Pulaski,   Saline,   Garland,    Polk  and   Montgom- 
ery. 

Saline,  Garland,  Hot  Spring  and  Montgomery. 
Hot    Spring,    Garland,    Ouachita,    Montgomery, 
Washington  and  Independence. 
Baxter,  Benton,  Boone,   Carroll,  Marion,  New- 
ton, Searcy  and  Washington. 


Counties  of  Arkansas  and  Their 
Mineral  Resources 

The  -counties  of  the  State,  with  their  principal  minerals,  are  listed  l/e- 
low,  the  capitalized  words  indicating  the  more  important  minerals: 

Arkansas  County — Brick  clay. 

Ashley  County — Brick  and  pottery  clay. 

Baxter  County — LEAD,  ZINC,  limestone,  marbles,  phosphate  rock. 

Benton  County — LEAD,  brick  clay,  limestone. 

Boone  County — LEAD,  ZINC,  brick  clay,  limestone,  marble,  phosphate 
rock. 

Bradley  County — Brick  and  pottery  clay. 

Calhoun  County — Pottery  clay. 

Carroll  County — Iron,  LEAD,  copper,  brick  clay,  limestone,  onyx,  phos- 
phate rock. 

Chicot  County — Brick  clay. 

Clark  County — Marls,  brick,  tile,  fire  and  pottery  clay,  lignite,  phosphate 
rock. 

Clay  County — Brick  clay. 

Cleveland  County — Brick  and  pottery  clay. 

Columbia  County — Brick  and  pottery  clay. 

Conway  County — Fire  and  pottery  clay. 

Craighead  County — Brick  clay. 

Crawford  County— Fire  and  pottery  clay,  coal,  NATURAL  GAS. 

Crittenden  County — Brick  clay. 

Cross  County — Brick  clay. 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS  37 

Dallas  County — Fire  and  pottery  clay,  kaolin,  lignite. 

Desha  County — Brick  clay. 

Drew  County — Brick  and  pottery  clay,  ochre. 

Faulkner  County — Brick  and  pottery  clay. 

Franklin  County — Hematite,  COAL,   fire  and  pottery  clay. 

Fulton   County — Limestone,   phosphate   rock. 

Garland  County — Hematite,  iron  pyrites,  lead,  manganese,  silver,  brick 
and  fire  clay,  kaolin,  graphite,  tripoli,  novaculite,  slate. 

Grant  County — Pottery  clay. 

Greene  County — Brick  and  pottery  clay. 

Hempstead  County — Marls,  brick,  fire  and  pottery  clay. 

Hot  Spring  County — Magnetic  iron,  lead,  manganese,  silver,  brick  and 
fire  clay,  kaolin,  NOVACULITE,  soapstone,  tripoli,  garnet. 

Howard  County — Antimony,  lead,  marls,  brick  clay. 

Independence  County — MANGANESE,  brick  and  pottery  clay,  limestone, 
MARBLE,  PEARLS,  PHOSPHATE  ROCK,  tripoli. 

Izard  County — Lead,  manganese,  glass  sand,  limestone,  phosphate  rock. 

Jackson  County — PEARLS. 

Jefferson  County — Brick  and  pottery  clay,  glass  sand. 

Johnson  County — Fire  and  pottery  clay,  COAL. 

Lafayette  County — Pottery  clay. 

Lawrence  County — Iron,  brick  clay,  kaolin,  limestone,  PEARLS. 

Lee  County — Brick  and  tile  clay. 

Lincoln  County — Brick  clay. 

Little  River  County — CHALK,  clays  for  cement. 

Logan  County — Iron  pyrites,  fire  and  pottery  clay,  COAL. 

Lonoke  County — Brick  clay. 

Madison  County — Limestones,  mable. 

Marion   County — LEAD,    ZINC,    limestone,    marble. 

Miller  County — Brick  and  tile  clay. 

Mississippi  County — Brick  and  tile  clay. 

Monroe  County — Brick  and  tile  clay,  PEARLS. 

Montgomery  County — Gold  (sparingly) ;  hematite,  lead,  manganese,  pot- 
tery clay,  graphite,  soapstone,  tripoli,  novaculite,  barytes,  SLATE. 

Nevada  County — Brick,  tile  and  pottery  clay. 

Newton  County — LEAD,  ZINC,  limestone,  marble. 

Ouachita  County — Fire  and  pottery  clay,  kaolin,  tripoli,  LIGNITE. 

Perry  County — Coal,  brick  clay,  gravel. 

Phillips  County — Brick  and  tile  clay. 

Pike  County — Hematite,  manganese,  silver,  ASPHALT,  marls,  ball  or 
paper  clay,  fire  clay,  DIAMONDS,  KAOLIN,  gypsum,  lignite. 

Poinsett  County — Brick  and  tile  clay,  lignite. 

Polk  County — Copper,  iron  pyrites,  manganese,  brick  clay,  novaculite, 
SLATE. 

Pope  County — Brick  clay,  COAL.  , 

Prairie  County — Brick  clay,  pearls. 

Pulaski — County — Bauxite,  copper,  hematite,  lead,  manganese,  silver, 
kaolin,  brick  and  pottery  clay,  GRANITE,  ochre,  slate. 

Randolph  County— Brick  clay,  PEARLS. 

Saline  County — BAUXITE,  hematite,  iron  pyrites,  manganese,  silver, 
brick,  pottery  and  fire  clay,  KAOLIN,  FULLERS'  EARTH,  glass  sand,  SOAP- 
STONE. 

Scott  County— COAL,  NATURAL  GAS. 

Searcy  County — Iron  pyrites,  LEAD,  ZINC,  brick  clay,  limestone,  marble, 
phosphate  rock. 

Sebastian  County — COAL,  NATURAL  GAS,  brick,  fire  and  pottery  clay. 

Sevier  County — ANTIMONY,  lead,  silver,  asphalt,  marls,  brick  and 
cement  clay. 

Sharp  County — Manganese,  iron,  limestone. 

St.  Francis  County — Brick  and  tile  clay. 

Stone  County — Phosphate  rock. 

Union  County — Brick  and  pottery  clay,  NATURAL  GAS,  PETROLEUM. 

Van  Bureh  County — Building  stone. 


38  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

Washington  County — Lead,  brick  clay,  limestone,  natural  gas,  oil  shale, 
tripoli. 

White  County — Brick,  fire  and  tile  clay. 
Woodruff  County — Brick  and  tile  clay,  PEARLS. 
Yell  County — Brick  and  pottery  clay,  COAL. 


MINERALS  AND  ECONOMIC 
PRODUCTS 


Arranged  Alphabetically 


Actinolite 

Magnesium-calcium-iron    silicate    (Amphibole). — Occasional    in   granitic 
rocks.    Magnet  Cove. 


Aegirite 

Aluminum-calcium-iron-soda  silicate — near  phyroxene,  with  alkalies;   in 
granitic  rocks,  with  labradorite;  also  enclosed  in  microline.    Magnet  Cove. 


Agalmatolite 

In  pockets  in  shale,  and  as  "selvage"  in  quartz  seams;   Saline  County; 
Garland  County;    commonly;   generally  distributed  in  other  counties. 


Agaric  Mineral 

Fine  powdery  incrustations  on  rocks  or  in  crevices;   coating  of  silvery 
shale,  Montgomery  County;  in  Peacock  lode,  Logan  county. 


Agate 

Finely  variegated  Montgomery  County. 


Agricultural  Marls 

It  is  very  remarkable  that  in  Arkansas,  within  a  small  triangular  area 
of  thirty  miles  square  between  Washington  and  Murfreesboro  and  the  White 
Cliffs  of  Little  River  we  have  abundant  supplies  of  at  least  four  of  these  val- 
uable kinds  of  marl,  greensand,  lime,  chalk  and  gypsum  with  the  reasonable 
expectation  that  another  year's  investigation  would  reveal  the  phosphates. 
These  facts  alone,  if  properly  utilized,  will  be  of  greater  value  to  the  state 
than  all  the  gold  dug  within  the  bounds  of  California  has  been  to  that  state. 

These  marls  are  very  siliceous,  and  the  lime  and  greensand  occur  in 
local  horizons  or  beds.  Their  chief  value,  if  used  for  mixing,  would  be  to 
loosen  and  supply  phosphoric  acid,  iron  and  potash  to  sandy  and  sticky  clay 
lands.  *  *  *  The  potash  in  these  marls  is  3.06  parts  in  the  100.  The  lime 
can  be  regulated  by  selecting  the  fossiliferous  or  non-fossiliferous  portions. 
The  chief  point  of  occurrence  of  these  green  sands  is  in  the  valley  of  Town 
Creek  at  Washington,  Hempstead  County,  where  the  greensand  occurs  in 
varying  degrees  of  purity,  accompanied  or  unaccompanied  by  shell  beds, 
which  are  useful  in  case  lime  is  also  needed.  The  same  greensands  occur 
in  Clark  County  at  many  places,  but  as  far  as  the  writer's  limited  observa- 
tions extend,  in  no  case,  so  pure  as  those  at  Washington.  The  sandy  surface 


MINERALS    IN    ARKANSAS  39 

residual  soils  of  these  marls,  occupying  an  intermittent  and  limited  strip 
from  Arkadelphia  to  Columbus,  are,  no  doubt,  the  finest  soils  possible 
for  fruit  trees  and  especially  valuable  for  growing  peaches.  In  this  con- 
nection it  is  interesting  to  note  that  they  present  the  same  physical  condi- 
tion and  occupy  the  same  geolgoic  horizon  as  the  celebrated  peach  growing 
regions  of  New  Jersey. 

The  lime  marls  of  the  middle  beds  of  the  upper  Cretaceous  in  Clark, 
Hempstead,  Southern  Howard  and  Sevier  counties  are  of  great  variety  in 
composition,  inexhaustible  in  quantity,  and  must  be  a  source  of  great  wealth 
to  the  agricultural  industries  of  this  part  of  the  state  in  the  future.  The 
principal  geologic  horizons  of  these  marls  are  the  beds  between  Washing- 
ton greensands  and  the  White  Cliffs  chalk,  including  the  Big  Deciper,  Gry- 
phaea  vesicularis  and  Exogyra  ponderosa  marls,  at  innumerable  places  wher- 
ever these  are  the  surface  formations.  The  noted  Cretaceous  black  lands 
are  without  exception,  the  immediate  residue,  or  but  slightly  transported 
debris,  of  these  formations. 

The  essential  ingredients  in  all  of  these  lime  marls  are  calcium  car- 
bonate, usually  in  a  chalky  state  of  division,  phosphoric  acid  and  potash;  the 
accessory  ingredients,  which  would  be  noted  in  comparison  with  the  soil  to 
be  treated,  are  sand  and  clay.  Greensand  is  usually  more  or  less  abundant 
throughout.  In  general,  these  lime  marls  possess,  in  addition  to  all  the  vir- 
tues of  greensand  marls  above  described,  a  large  and  valuable  percentage  of 
the  form  of  lime  known  as  calcium  carbonate. 

REFERENCES 
Iirnnner,  John  C. — Annual  Report  Ark.  Geol.  Surv.     Vol.  II,  1888. 


Albite 

Sodium-aluminum     silicate.     (Feldspar). — Sparingly   in   granitic   rocks. 
Magnet  Cove. 


Allophane 

Hydrous  aluminum,  silicate.  Incrustations  in  crevices,  etc.    Magnet  Cove. 

Almandite 

Iron-aluminum  silicate.  (See  Garnet). — Crystals  abundant  in  wash,  also 
In  granitic  rocks.    Magnet  Cove 


Aluminite 

This,  or  a  closely  allied  earthy  mineral  in  Tertiary  clays;  Pulaski,  Saline, 
Hot  Spring,  Pike,  Sevier  and  Polk  counties,  and  northward. 


Alunogen 

Reported  by  Purdue  from  Searcy  County. 


Ankerite 

Calcium-magnesium-iron  carbonate.  In  seams,  crevices,  etc.,  and  in 
larger  masses,  in  calcerous  rocks;  shades  into  dolomite  and  calcite.  Magnet 
Cove. 


Antimony 

Since  1873  antimony  has  been  mined  intermittently  in  Sevier  and  How- 
ard counties,  near  Antimony  and  Gillham.  This  field  is  believed  to  extend 
westward  into  Oklahoma. 

The  rocks  of  the  antimony  region  are  alternating  thinly  bedded  sand- 
stones and  sandy  or  muddy  shales,  of  Pennsylvanian  and  Mississippian  age. 
They  are  of  a  light-yellowish  or  drab  color  where  exposed,  and  dark  gray 
to  black  where  unweathered.  The  rocks  have  been  thrown  into  very  regu- 
lar parallel  folds  running  a  trifle  north  of  east.  The  folds  are  so  close  that 


40  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

in  many  places  the  dip  of  the  rocks  approaches  perpendicularity,   and   so 
regular  that  the  strike  of  the  rocks  is  sometimes  used  to  tell  direction. 

The  ore  bodies  occur  in  thin  lenticular  masses  whose  longest  dimen- 
sion approaches  verticality  and  may  reach  more  than  100  feet.  The  width 
may  be  from  3  or  4  feet  to  20  or  even  40  feet;  the  thickness  ranges  from  a 
"feather-edge"  to  2%  feet. 

REFERENCES 

Hess,  F.  L,. — The  Arkansas  antimony  deposits.  Bulletin  No.  340,  U  S  Geol. 
Surv.,  Washington,  1908. 

Apatite 

Calcium  phosphate  and  chloride  (or  fluoride).  In  crystalline  rocks,  also 
associated  with  dolomites.  Magnet  Cove. 


Aplome 

Part  of  the  common  iron  garnet  is  in  this  form.     Magnet  Cove. 

Aprodite 

In  beds  or  masses;  Pulaski  and  Garland  counties. 


Aragonite 

Occasionally  as  "flos-ferri"  in  iron  ore   deposits;    distribution  general, 
though  not  abundant. 


Arkansite 

One  of  the  rare  minerals  found  in  Magnet  Cove,  which  has  attracted 
wide  attention  among  students  of  geology,  is  Arkansite  (Titanic  acid  or 
Brookite).  It  is  in  the  form  of  thick  black  crystals  and  is  much  sought  after 
by  collectors  of  mineral  specimens,  but  has  no  particular  commercial  value. 
Its  characteristics  and  geological  significance  is  discussed  in  numerous 
papers  and  publications  of  a  scientific  nature. 

REFERENCES 

Shepard,  Charles  TTpham. — On  three  new  mineral  species  from  Arkansas. 
American  Journal  of  Science,  second  series,  Vol.  LJI.  Arkansite,  Ozarkite  and 
Schloromite,  New  Haven,  1846. 

Asbolite 

Sparingly  in  pockets  or  crevices  among  shales  and  intrusive  rocks; 
Ouachita  River,  south  of  Hot  Springs;  possibly  in  Montgomery  county  also. 


Asphalt 

There  are  seven  asphalt  deposits,  three  of  which  are  in  Pike  County,  and 
four  in  Sevier  County,  in  Southwestern  Arkansas,  which  have  been  examined. 
The  asphalt  deposits  in  Pike  County  are  near  Pike,  Delight,  and  Mur- 
freesboro.  The  deposits  in  Sevier  County  are  between  Dierks  and  DeQueen, 
near  the  village  of  Lebanon. 

The  asphalt  impregnates  nearly  horizonal  beds  of  loose  sand  in  the 
basal  part  of  the  Dierks  limestone  lentil  or  still  lower  in  the  Trinity  forma- 
tion. The  deposits  thus  consist  of  asphaltic  sand  except  at  one  place  where 
the  asphalt  impregnates  the  Pike  gravel  member  at  the  base  of  the  forma- 
tion. The  layers  containing  the  asphalt  range  from  an  inch  to  12  feet  in 
thickness. 

The  asphalt  deposit  near  Pike  is  the  only  one  from  which  asphalt  has 
been  shipped  in  commercial  quantity.  The  asphaltic  sand  mined  at  that 
locality  from  1903  to  1906  by  the  Arkansas  Asphalt  Company  is  said  to  have 
amounted  to  4,815  tons,  valued  at  $22,368.  It  was  used  in  Little  Rock  in 
paving  West  Markham  Street  from  Main  to  Cross  streets,  a  distance  of  12 
blocks,  and  in  paving  part  of  Center  Street.  A  2-inch  surface  of  the  asphalt 
was  laid  upon  a  5-inch  concrete  base,  which  rested  upon  clay.  Owing  to 
improper  preparation  of  the  asphalt  the  paving  was  not  entirely  satisfactory. 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS 


41 


HOW  TWO  VALUABLE  MINERALS  ARE 
MINED  IN  ARKANSAS 


Bauxite  Mine  at  Bauxite,  Ark. 


Manganese   Mine,   Independence  County. 


42  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

The  asphalt  deposit  near  Delight  is  thin,  the  reported  thickness  being: 
3  to  6  feet.  If  the  deposit  is  later  proved  to  maintain  that  thickness  under 
a  considerable  area,  it  might  be  profitably  worked,  but  the  overburden  is  so- 
thick,  30  to  35  feet  or  more,  that  underground  mining  would  probably  be 
necessary.  The  asphalt  exposed  at  the  other  localities  is  not  thick  enough  to 
be  mined  and  probably  is  no  thicker  away  from  the  outcrops. 

REFERENCES 

Miser,  Hugh  D.  and  Purdue,  A.  H. — Asphalt  deposits  and  oil  conditions  in 
Southwest  Arkansas.  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.  Bulletin  691-J,  1918. 


Augite 

Aluminum-mangesium-calcium-iron  silicate  (Pyroxene).    In  basic  igneous 
rocks.    Magnet  Cove. 


Aventurine  Quartz 

Quartz  spangled  with  scales  or  other  mineral;  intercalated  with  black 
shales;  Micaceous.    Magnet  Cove. 


Barite 

Scattering  deposits  in  Pike,  Polk,  Pulaski,  Saline,  Garland  and  Mont- 
gomery counties. 


Bartholomite 

Incrustation  in  crevices  as  result  of  decomposition  of  pyrite;  probably 
some  of  the  red  copperas,  as  at  Rabbit  Foot  mine,  Saline  County,  is  this  or 
the  allied  mineral,  Botryogen. 


Basanite 

In  beds,  much  jointed,  in  axes  of  uplifts;  Pulaski  County. 


Bauxite 

Arkansas'  bauxite  production  has  increased  so  rapidly  that  since  1910 
the  State  has  produced  over  80  per  cent  of  the  bauxite  mined  in  this  country. 
In  1915  the  output  was  more  than  90  per  cent  of  the  total  and  has  continued" 
at  this  rate  to  the  present  time. 

The  only  operators  of  importance  in  1920  are  the  Republic  Mining  and 
Manufacturing  Company  of  Little  Rock;  the  American  Bauxite  Company  of 
Bauxite;  the  Globe  Bauxite  Company  of  Chemical  Spur;  and  the  Du  Pont 
Chemical  Company  of  Wilmington,  Delaware. 

The  major  part  of  the  production  comes  from  what  is  known  as  the 
Bauxite  District,  sometimes  called  the  Bryant  District,  lying  about  18  miles 
southwest  of  the  city  of  Little  Rock  and  covering  an  area  of  about  12  square 
miles  in  Bryant  township  of  Saline  county.  The  second  and  less  important 
district  is  known  as  the  Fourche  Mountain  District,  lying  immediately  south 
of  the  city  limits  of  Little  Rock  in  Pulaski  County  and  embracing  an  area 
somewhat  larger  than  the  Bauxite  District.  The  two  areas  are  about  14 
miles  apart. 

Arkansas  produced,  in  1920,  481,279  long  tons,  as  compared  with  a  total 
domestic  production  of  521,308  tons  of  the  value  of  $3,247,345. 

Estimates  of  the  quantity  of  bauxite  ore  obtainable  in  the  Arkansas 
field  range  from  5,000,000  tons,  by  John  T.  Fuller,  superintendent  of  the 
American  Bauxite  Company,  to  50,000,000  tons,  by  Dr.  Chas.  W.  Hayes  of 
the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey.  It  is  probable  that  the  amount  of  ore  that -will 
be  mined  will  be  somewhere  between  these  extremes. 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  43 

Bauxite  Production  in  Arkansas  by  Years. 

Year  Long  Tons  Year  Long  Tons 

1899  5,043       1910       *115,836 

1900  3,44&       1911       *125,448 

1901  867       1912       *126,105         Value 

1902  4,645       1913        169,871       $  846,988 

1903  25,713  1914  195,247  976,686 

1904  25,748  1915  268,796  1,370,489 

1905  32,956  1916  375,910  2,011,590 

1906  50,267  1917  506,556  2,724,007 

1907  *  63,505       1918        562,892        3,133,880 

1908  *  37,703       1919        333,490        1,855,159 

1909  *106,874       1920       481,279        2,897,892 

•"Including  small  productions  from  Tennessee. 

REFERENCES 

Hayes,  C.  W. — "The  Arkansas  Bauxite  Deposits,"  21st  Annual  Report,  U. 
S.  Geol.  Survey.,  pt.  3,  1901,  pp.  435-472. 

Mead,  W.  J. — "Occurrence  and  Origin  of  the  Bauxite  Deposits  of  Arkansas," 
Economic  Geology,  Vol.  10,  No.  1,  January,  1915. 


Biotite 

Sparingly  in  granitic  rocks. 


Braunite 

Manganese  sesquioxide  and  silicate.     In  veins  or  intrusions.     Magnet 
Cove. 


Breunerite 

Iron-magnesium  carbonate;   shading  off  into  ankerite  and  dolomite,  in 
similar  situations;  distribution  irregular. 


Brookite 

Titanic  acid.  See  Arkansite.  (Var.)  See  Psuedobrookite,  occasional 
reddish  or  hair-brown  crystals  as  "float,"  but  Arkansite  is  most  common. 
Magnet  Cove. 


Brucite 

Hydrous  magnesium  oxide;   occasional  in  masses  of  serpentine;   Saline 
County. 


Cement  Materials 

Inasmuch  as  clays  occur  in  almost  every  part  of  the  state  in  greater 
or  less  abundance,  it  is  assumed  that  the  location  of  the  chalk,  at  White 
Cliffs,  must  determine  the  site  of  a  possible  cement  factory.  A  special  effort 
has  therefore  been  made  to  ascertain  whether  the  clays  at  and  near  the 
chalk  deposits  are  available  for  the  production  of  cement.  Little  River  and 
Sevier  County  clays  are  intimately  associated  with  the  post-tertiary  gravels, 
and  cover  large  portions,  not  of  Little  River  and  Sevier  Counties  alone  but  of 
several  of  the  adjoining  counties  in  the  Southwestern  part  of  the  state. 

The  proximity  of  the  natural  gas  field  of  Southern  Arkansas  and  North- 
west Louisiana  to  the  White  Cliffs  chalk  deposits  affords  an  additional  ad- 
vantage for  the  utilization  of  the  abundant  supply  of  materials  in  Southwest 
Arkansas  for  the  manufacture  of  cement. 

"Limestone  suitable  for  Portland  cement  occurs  in  many  counties  in  the 
northwestern  part  of  the  state." — U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.  Bull.  624. 

REFERENCES 

Branner,  John  C. — On  the  manufacture  of  Portland  cement.  Annual  Re- 
port of  the  Geol.  Surv.  of  Arkansas  for  1888,  Vol.  II,  Little  Rock,  1888.  Con- 
tains tables  of  analyses  of  Arkansas  chalks  and  clays. 


44  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

"The  Cement  Materials  of  Southwest  Arkansas."  Transactions  of  the 
American  Institute  of  Mining-  Engineers,  1897,  Vol.  XXVII,  5  cuts  and  map. 

Reply  to  criticism  of  R.  T.  Hill,  on  "The  Cement  Deposits  of  Arkansas." 
Transactions  American  Institute  of  Mining-  Engineers,  Vol.  XXVII,  New  York, 
1897. 

Eckel,  E.  C. — Portland  Cement  Resources  of  Arkansas.  Bulletin  No.  243, 
U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Washing-ton,  1905. 

Fitzhugh,  G.  D. — The  Portland  cement  materials  of  Southwestern  Arkan- 
sas. Engineering-  Association  of  the  South.  Transactions,  Vol.  XV,  1905. 

Hill,  Robt.  T. — Criticism  of  the  paper  of  J.  C.  Branner  on  "Cement  De- 
posits of  Arkansas."  Transactions  of  the  American  Institute  of  Mining  En- 
gineers, Vol.  XXVII. 


Chalcopyrite 

Sevier  County,  west  of  Gillham;  not  mined. 

Chalk 

The  chalk  deposits  of  the  state,  so  far  at  least  as  the  Geological  Survey 
has  been  able  to  outline  them,  are  confined  to  Little  River  County.  It 
is  highly  probable,  however,  that  similar  or  more  or  less  modified  deposits 
may  be  yet  found  in  adjacent  counties  along  the  northeastern  extension  of  the 
outcrop.  The  chalk  is  exposed  at  and  about  the  village  of  Rocky  Comfort 
and  at  and  about  White  Cliffs  Landing  on  Little  River.  The  most  extensive 
exposures  are  those  about  Rocky  Comfort  where  the  chalk  and  black  soil 
derived  from  its  decomposition  cover  an  area  of  about  twenty  square  miles. 
The  chalk  and  the  chalky  limestones  extend  further  north  and  further  east 
than  they  are  represented  *  *  *  but  they  are  covered  in  those  directions  by 
superficial  post-tertiary  deposits  of  clay,  gravel  and  sands  to  depths  which 
would  probably  render  their  handling  unprofitable.  Even,  the  derived  black 
soil  is  itself  too  thick  in  many  places  to  admit  of  removal.  The  area  over 
which  the  chalk  is  actually  exposed  and  without  covering  about  Rocky 
Comfort  is  estimated  to  be  only  about  900  acres. 

The  value  of  this  chalk  is  hardly  appreciated  at  the  present  time. 
When  we  consider  that  chalk  is  a  very  soft  rock,  and  therefore,  does  not 
require  grinding  as  do  the  compact  limestones,  and  further  the  greater  ease 
with  which  it  can  be  burnt  to  lime,  its  superiority  over  other  limestones 
may  be  seen.  The  fact  that  this  bed  is  the  only  one  known  to  exist  in  the 
United  States  may  increase  its  value.  *  *  These  cliffs  which  long  have  been 
a  landmark  of  the  region,  are  about  150  feet  high,  perpendicular,  and  as  white 
and  almost  as  pure  as  the  celebrated  chalk  cliffs  of  Dover,  England.  *  *  * 
The  following  analyses  show  how  closely  it  agrees  in  composition  with  the 
chalk  of  Medway,  England,  which  has  been  so  long  used  in  the  manufacture 
of  Portland  cement: 

Medway,          Rocky  White 

England.        Comfort.  Cliffs. 

Carbonate  of  Lime  88.50  88.48  90.32 

Carbonate  of  Magnesia  Trace 

Iron   Oxide   1.05  1.25  6.85 

Alumina  2.82    •  1.25  1.30 

Alkalies    2.61  None 

Silica 5.45  9.77  6.85 

REFERENCES 

Branner,  John  C. — Reports  Arkansas  Geological  Survey,  Vol.  II,  1888,  and 
Vol.  IV,  1890. 

Marcou  and  Belknap. — Jura.  Neocomian  and  Chalk  of  Arkansas.  American 
Geologist,  Vol.  IV,  pp.  357-367,  December,  1889. 

Anonymous. — Chalk  of  Southwestern  Arkansas.  Stone,  April,  1902,  Vol. 
XXIV,  New  York,  1902. 

Tan*,  J.  A. — Chalk  of  Southwestern  Arkansas,  with  notes  on  its  adaptability 
to  the  manufacture  of  hydraulic  cement.  Twenty-second  Annual  Report  of 
the  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Part  III,  Washington,  1902. 


Chrysolite 

In  crystals  and  disseminated  grains  in  igneous  and  metamorphie  rocks, 
some  peridotites;  Fourche  Mountain  and  northwestwards;  Pulaski  and 
Saline  counties;  Murfreesboro  and  in  Magnet  Cove. 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  45 

Celestite  (Strontium  Sulphate) 

Howard,  Pike,  and  Sevier  counties,  as  thin  layer  in  lower  Cretaceous 
limestone. 


Cinnamon  Stone 

In  float  and  in  metamorphic  rocks.     Magnet  Cove. 


Clays 

The  Tertiary  clays  are  the  most  important  in  the  state.  With  their 
accompanying  sands,  marls  and  organic  deposits,  they  underlie  a  large  part 
of  the  state  east  and  south  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railway,  south  of  Arkan- 
sas River.  North  of  this  and  east  of  the  Paleozoic  hills  the  sediments  are 
chiefly  Quarternary  deposits,  except  Crowley's  Ridge,  the  lowest  part  of 
which  is  Tertiary. 

Limonite  hardpan,  or  buckshot,  is  found  all  over  the  low  country  for 
50  miles  or  more  west  of  Crowley's  Ridge.  On  the  east  of  the  ridge  it  is  but 
a  narrow  fringe  along  its  base  below  Poinsett  county,  but  north  of  this  county 
it  spreads  over  the  whole  region  as  a  subsoil,  in  places  rising  to  the  surface 
and  varying  in  depth  from  3  to  7  feet.  It  extends  eastward  to  the  alluvial 
bottoms  of  the  St.  Francis.  Along  the  Cache  River  in  Greene  and  Clay  coun- 
ties much  of  the  land  is  made  up  of  these  slashes  or  buckshot  soil. 

In  the  low.  flat  lands,  commonly  known  as  "slashes,"  thin  beds  of 
plastic  clays  are  found  at  places  where  acidulated  waters  have  leached  the 
iron  from  the  soil.  Some  small  potteries  get  their  clays  from  such  places. 
The  supply  of  available  clays  of  this  kind  is  uncertain,  and  most  of  the  areas 
covered  by  them  are  small.  Such  clays  occur  in  the  flat  lands  of  the  Creta- 
ceous, Tertiary  and  Quarternary  areas  of  the  state,  which,  are  not  alluvial 
lands,  properly  speaking. 

Sebastian  county  is  among  the  leading  counties  of  the  state  in  the 
development  of  its  clay  industries.  Clay  shales  of  the  coal-bearing  rocks  are 
used  in  the  manufacture  of  paving  bricks 

The  abundance  of  excellent  raw  materials,  the  proximity  of  the  deposits 
to  the  coal  and  gas  fields  and  ample  transportation  facilities  have  encouraged 
development,  giving  the  county  high  rank  in  the  output  of  clay  products. 

Clays  For  Drain  Tiles. 

There  is  no  lack  of  clay  in  this  state  available  for  the  manufacture  of 
good  drain  tiles.  The  light-blue  clays  through  the  country  lying  between 
Beebe  and  Kensett  and  thence  to  Judsonia,  and  between  Kensett  aiid  West 
Point,  in  White  county,  are  available  for  the  manufacture  of  tiles.  The  clays 
about  Brinkley,  Monroe  County,  are  well  adapted  to  tile  making.  Along  the 
western  base  of  Crowley's  Ridge  in  Phillips,  Lee  and  St.  Francis  counties, 
and  on  both  sides  of  the  ridge  in  Cross,  Poinsett,  Craighead,  Greene  and 
Clay  counties,  these  clays  are  abundant  and  of  excellent  quality.  They 
abound  also  along  Bradshaw  and  Terre  Noir  creeks  in  Clark  County.  In 
the  counties  south  and  southeast  of  Little  Rock,  clays  available  for  tile 
making  occur  both  as  surface  soils  in  the  valleys  (not  alluvial)  and  in 
the  widespread  stratified  Tertiary  beds  of  the  region. 

Fire  Clay 

"Fire  clays  occur  under  nearly  all  the  beds  of  lignite  wherever  they  have 
been  found  in  Crowley's  Ridge.  At  the  base  of  the  great  beds  on  Bolivar 
Creek  in  Poinsett  county,  are  found  clays  rich  in  alumina  and  which  might 
be  of  good  quality.  In  Northern  Arkansas  the  Eureka  shale  is  present  in 
large  quantities."  Fire  brick  are  manufactured  at  Malvern  and  Camclen 
from  clays  of  excellent  quality. 

Kaolins  or  Pottery  Clays 

Deposits  of  kaolin  occur  at  many  places  and  in  a  variety  of  formations. 
The  best  known  deposits  are  those  of  Saline  County,  near  Benton  from  which 
the  famous  Niloak  (a  reversed  spelling  of  kaolin)  pottery  is  made.  The 
beauty  and  popularity  of  these  wares  are  due  as  much  to  the  skill  of  the 


46  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

artists  as  to  the  quality  of  the  material  from  which  the  pottery  is  made 
though  the  texture  of  the  clay  and  its  colors  are  important  factors  in  ceramic 
art.  No  two  pieces  of  this  pottery  are  alike  in  arrangement  of  color.  Two  or 
more  shades  are  employed,  usually  a  blue  and  a  brown,  in  interesting  rota- 
tion and  accidental  pattern.  No  less  attractive  are  the  truly  artistic  designs 
by  which  the  clay  is  shaped  into  vases,  bowls,  urns  and  all  manner  of  nick- 
nacks,  such  as  ornament  the  library  table  or  mantel. 

"The  kaolins  found  in  Saline  county  are  of  three  varieties:  (1)  a  com- 
pact variety,  derived  from  the  feldspathic  rocks  by  decomposition,  (2)  a  piso- 
litic  variety,  found  associated  more  or  less  intimately  with  the  bauxite 
deposits,  and  (3)  a  clay-like  variety  of  sedimentary  origin,  found  at  Benton." 
The  report  indicates  extensive  deposits  in  this  locality. 

The  Pike  County  kaolin  is  different  in  physical  characters  from  any  other 
kaolin  thus  far  found  in  the  state.  *  *  *  The  largest  area  found  in  any  one 
body  covered  about  10  acres.  No  exposures  of  feldspathic  rock  are  within 
60  miles  of  the  deposit.  *  *  *  The  greatest  depth  at  which  the  kaolin  was 
found  was  25  feet. 

A  white  kaolin  of  fair  refractoriness  outcrops  on  the  Kilmer  land  in 
Dallas  County  and  a  quantity  is  reported  on  Sandy  Branch  in  Ouachita  Coun- 
ty. Of  the  latter  deposit  Doctor  Branner  says:  "After  the  sand  is  removed 
by  washing  it  is  available  for  the  manufacture  of  pottery  and  also  as  a  re- 
fractory material.  The  quantity  seems  to  be  very  large."  The  kaolin  depos- 
its in  Magnet  Cove  are  not  considered  of  commercial  importance. 

REFERENCES 

Branner,  John  C. — The  clays  of  Arkansas,  Bulletin  351,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv., 
1908. 

Purdue,  A.  H. — Possibilities  of  the  clay  industry  of  Arkansas,  published 
by  the  Arkansas  Brickmakers'  Association,  1910. 


Coccolite 

Variety    of   lime-magnesia,   pyroxene    (Malacolite) ;    in    granitic   rocks. 
Magnet  Cove. 


Copper 

There  is  no  record  of  copper  ore  production  in  Arkansas,  although 
scattering  deposits  have  been  discovered  in  several  places  and  mined  on  a 
small  scale,  principally  in  North  Arkansas,  at  one  place  in  Pulaski  County 
and  in  Polk  County. 

Purdue  reported  the  presence  of  chalcocite  of  steel-gray  or  blackish 
type  from  Carroll  County,  and  it  is  reported  that  ore  is  being  mined  near 
Eureka  Springs.  Chrysocolla  is  frequently  found  in  cavities  at  the  zinc 
mines.  Aurichalcite  is  also  common  at  many  of  the  zinc  mines,  but  always 
in  small  quantities. 

The  only  economic  source  of  copper  as  yet  made  manifest  is  the  min- 
eral chalcopyrite,  or  copper  pyrites,  which  is  intimately  associated  with 
galena  in  nearly  all  of  the  known  occurrences  of  that  mineral.  (In  Pulaski, 
Polk,  Howard,  Sevier,  and  Montgomery  counties). 

REFERENCES 
Branner,  John  C. — Report  Ark.  Geol.  Surv.,  Vol.  V,  1892. 


Copperas 

Iron  sulphate.  (Malenterite),  strictly,  but  blue  vitrol  (Chalcanthite) 
is  included  popularly;  Melanterite  appears  to  be  more  abundant  than 
Chalcanthite. 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 


47 


I   933W        3i  30  29  28         '    27  26  25  2*  23 


SCALE  "N  MILES 
£0  30 


Coal  hor.zon 


Areas  of  known  economic 
value 


Map  of  the  Arkansas  Coal   Field. 

Coal 

The  coal-bearing  area  of  the  state  is  1584  square  miles  in  extent.  The 
field  reaches  from  Russellville  on  the  east  through  Pope,  Johnson,  Logan, 
Yell,  Franklin,  Crawford,  Sebastian  and  Scott  counties  to  and  beyond  the 
Oklahoma  border. 

About  Clarksville  and  Russellville  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  field,  the 
product  is  a  high-grade  semi-anthracite  and  in  the  western  part  of  the  field 
is  produced  a  high-grade  semi-bituminous  coal  of  almost  smokeless  quality. 

Varying  widely  in  character,  the  Arkansas  coals  will  prove  of  their 
greatest  utility,  when  the  differences  of  quality  are  more  properly  emphasized 
in  the  trade  and  employed  for  the  specific  uses  to  which  each  type  of  fuel  is 
especially  adapted,  for  a  coal  that  is  remarkably  well  adapted  to  one  purpose 
may  be  ill-fitted  for  another.  The  semi-anthracite  is  preferable  for  domestic 
use,  because  of  its  cleanliness,  and  the  semi-bituminous  is  more  suited  to 
steaming  purposes  in  locomotives  or  factory  furnaces,  because  of  its  high- 
heat-producing  qualities. 

Extent  of  the  Coal  Supply 

The  Arkansas  coal  field  lies  in  the  valley  of  the  Arkansas  River  between 
the  western  border  of  the  state  and  Russellville.  It  has  roughly  the  shape 
of  a  Roman  capital  L  with  its  base  along  the  Oklahoma  line.  It  is  about 
33  miles  wide  and  60  miles  long,  but  it  is  only  in  the  eastern  and  western 
parts  of  this  area  that  the  Hartshorne  coal  is  probably  thick  enough  or 
sufficiently  free  from  partings  to  be  of  economic  importance.  Still,  some 
300  to  320  square  miles  will  probably  contain  coal  which  may  be  mined.  In 
places,  the  coal  is  over  8  feet  thick,  and  when  clean  and  of  good  quality,  it 
has  been  mined  where  no  thicker  than  18  inches.  The  Hartshorne  seam  will 
probably  average  about  3  feet  thick,  and  assuming  this  thickness  over  310 
square  miles,  that  part  of  this  bed  which  lies  in  Arkansas  once  contained 
something  like  a  billion  and  a  quarter  tons  of  coal.  The  small  amount  of 
coal  above  and  below  the  Hartshorne  horizon  may  be  nearly  equivalent  to 
that  already  mined,  which  was  about  46,800,000  tons  up  to  the  end  of  1919. 


48 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 


At  an  average  "recovery"  of  80  per  cent  in  mining,  the  state  will  therefore 
yield  only  about  850,000,000  tons,  but  at  the  present  rate  of  mining,  this  will 
last  for  350  years.  The  rate  of  mining  will  probably  increase. 

Heating  Value  of  Arkansas  Coal. 

The  coals  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  field  have  about  seven  to  nine 
times  as  much  fixed  carbon  as  volatile  combustible  matter,  and  are  rated  as 
semi-anthracite.  These  are  sold  for  domestic  use  at  but  little  below  the 
price  of  the  Pennsylvania  anthracite.  Those  in  the  western  part  of  the 
field  contain  but  three  to  six,  generally  five,  times  as  much  fixed  carbon  as 
volatile  combustible,  and  the  coals  are  bituminous.  They  are  less  smoky 
than  most  bituminous  or  soft  coals. 

The  heating  value  of  the  coal,  which  lies  between  13,700  and  14,700 
British  thermal  units,  and  its  specific  gravity  (average  1.35)  place  it  among 
the  best  coals  in  the  United  States.  Its  moisture  and  ash  are  also  low,  but 
it  contains  a  little  more  sulphur  than  other  high  grade  coals. 


Representative  Analyses  of  Arkansas  Coals 

(U.  S.  GEOLOGICAL  SURVEY) 

Russellville 

Moisture    2.07 

Volatile  Matter  9.81 

Fixed    Carbon    78.82 

Ash   9.30 

Sulphur    1.74 

B.  t.  u 13702 

Huntington 

Moisture 3.53 

Volatile  Matter  16.66 

Fixed  Carbon  72.04 

Ash   7.77 

Sulphur    1.29 

B.  t.  u.  .  ....14017 


Paris       Hartford  Jenny  Lind 

2.41 

2.89 

1.60 

17.23 

19.29 

17.40 

70.35 

67.34 

73.09 

10.01 

10.48 

7.91 

3.21 

1.10 

1.42 

13523 

13271 

14162 

Bonanza 

Spadra 

Denning 

1.99 

3.12 

3.64 

15.90 

11.39 

15.32 

75.05 

77.03 

73.88 

7.06 

8.46 

7.16 

1.05 

1.84 

2.43 

14087 

13793 

13743 

Mine  Face  Samples  of  Arkansas  Coal 

The  analyses  give  "as  received"  values — that  is,  the  analysis  shows  the 
character  of  the  sample  as  it  is  received  at  the  laboratory  in  an  air-tight 
container  sealed  in  the  mine.* 


SEMI-ANTHRACITE. 

Lab.     Mois-     Vol.      Fixed     Ash    Sulphur  B.  T.  U. 
No.       ture    Matter    Carbon 


Pope  County 
Russellville 
Spadra 


.18755 
...2587 


2.79 
3.12 


11.90 
11.39 


75.24 
77.03 


SEMI-BITUMINOUS 


Franklin  County: 
Denning    


Logan  County 
Paris    . 


104.2 
18746 

.  3174 

18750 


.84       16.46 
3.24       15.19 


2.77 
2.48 


14.69 
17.11 


75.32 
74.01 

73.47 

70.58 


10.07 
8.46 


7.38 
7-56 

9.07 
9.83 


Sebastian  County 

Bonanza    

Greenwood    

Huntington  

Hackett  . 


Scott  County 
Bates  .. 


2599  1.99  15.90  75.05  7.06 

.  3173  3.21  14.84  72.66  9.29 

1045  1.02  17.88  73.61  7.49 

.18062  3-55  15.73  65.56  15.16 

BITUMINOUS 

3505       3.37       24.44       66.40  5.79 


2.17 
1.84 


1.91 

2.27 

2.79 
3.29 

1.05 
3.12 
1.10 
1.67 


.87 


13,356 
13.793 


14,645 
13,756 

13,774 

13,496 

14,087 
13,588 
14,434 
12,541 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  49 

LIGNITE 
Ouachita  County 

Lester    2647       39.50       25.35       22.57       12.58         .53         5.877 

*Analyses  are  from  Pp.  47-51,  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines  Bulletin  22,  1913,  or 
from  Pp.  29  and  30,  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines  Bulletin  123  (18750,  18755,  18062, 
18746),  1918. 

Analyses  of  Coals  of  Pennsylvania,  West  Virginia,  Illinois  and  Kansas. 

ANTHRACITE 

Lab.     Mois-     Vol.      Fixed     Ash    Sulphur  B.  T.  U. 
No.      ture    Matter   Carbon 
No.  1,  Pennsylvania 5954      2.80        1.16       88.21      7.83      0.89       13,298 

SEMI-BITUMINOUS 
No.  2.  (Pocahontas) 

West  Virginia   Avg.      3.26       13.95      78.33      4.45      0.56       14,950 

BITUMINOUS 

No.  3,   Pennsylvania....  4352       2.01       33.56       58.11       6.32       1.39       14,441 
No.  4,  Herrin  No.  6 

Coal,  111 9.21       34.00       48.08       8.71       1.53       11,825 

No.  5,  Kans.  Coal 23238     25.49       26.07       43.95       4.49         .71         8,788 

No.  1  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines  Bulletin  22— p.  172. 

No.  2  West  Virginia  Geol.  Survey — Wyoming,  McDowell  Counties,  1915, 
p.  730. 

No.  3  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines  Bulletin  22,  p.  183. 

No.  4  111.  State  Geol.  Survey,  Coop.  Coal  Mining  Series  Bull.  16,  Plate 
III,  1917. 

No.  5  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Mines  Bull.  123,  p.  39. 


Directory  of  Arkansas  Coal  Mine  Operators 

SEBASTIAN  COUNTY. 

Actus  Coal  Co.  Mine  No.  1,  one  and  one-quarter  miles  west  of  the  sta- 
tion. Jenny  Lind;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  slope  opening;  C. 
C.  Woodson,  general  manager.  Huntington;  C.  R.  Dewberry,  mine  foreman, 
Jenny  Lind. 

Big  Vein  Coal  Co.,  Smedley  mine;  three  and  one-half  miles  northeast 
of  Hartford;  railroad  connections,  Midland  Valley;  slope  opening;  W.  E. 
West,  president  and  general  manager;  Roy  Smith,  foreman. 

Back  Bone  Coal  Co.,  Jones  mine;  two  miles  south  of  Excelsior;  shaft 
opening;  70  feet  deep;  railroad  connections,  Midland  Valley;  M.  K.  McCub- 
rey,  superintendent  and  general  manager,  Greenwood. 

Central  Coal  &  Coke  Co.,  mine  No.  2;  one-half  mile  north  of  station, 
Huntington;  shaft  opening;  42  feet  deep;  railroad  connections,  Frisco; 
Harry  Risher,  superintendent. 

Central  Coal  &  Coke  Co.,  mine  No.  3;  three  miles  west  of  Huntington; 
shaft' opening;  123  feet  deep;  railroad  connections,  Frisco;  Harry  Risher, 
superintendent;  Ernest  Gurth,  foreman. 

Central  Coal  &  Coke  Co.,  mine  No.  4;  one-quarter  mile  south  of  station, 
Hartford;  slope  opening;  railroad  connections,  Rock  Island;  Robert  Boyd, 
Jr.,  superintendent;  Walter  Milan,  foreman. 

Central  Coal  &  Coke  Co.,  Mine  No.  6;  three  and  one-half  miles  west  of 
Huntington;  shaft  opening;  267  feet  deep;  railroad  connections,  Frisco; 
Harry  Risher,  superintendent;  Joseph  Porter,  foreman. 

Central  Coal  &  Coke  Co.,  Mine  No.  10;  one-quarter  mile  west  of  Hart- 
ford; slope  opening;  railroad  connections,  Rock  Island;  Robert  Boyd,  Jr., 
superintendent;  J.  W.  Fitzjarrell,  foreman. 

Central  Coal  &  Coke  Co.,  mine  No.  11;  three  miles  northeast  of  Hart- 
ford; shaft  opening,  254  feet;  railroad  connections,  Midland  Valley;  John 
McCury,  superintendent;  Joseph  Angerer,  foreman. 

Central  Coal  &  Coke  Co.,  mine  No.  15;  one-half  mile  northeast  of  sta- 
tion, Hartford;  slope  opening;  railroad  connections,  Rock  Island;  Robert 
Boyd,  Jr.,  superintendent;  John  Bates,  foreman;  William  Harkes,  general 
manager;  Keith  &  Perry  Bldg,  Kansas  City,  Mo. 


50  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

Enterprise  Coal  Co.,  mine  No.  2  (formerly  known  as  the  Ellard  mine) ; 
one  and  one-half  miles  east  of  Hartford;  slope  opening;  railroad  connec- 
tions, Midland  Valley;  W.  H.  Miellmier,  manager. 

Enterprise  Coal  Co.,  mine  No.  1;  one  and  three-quarter  miles  east  of 
Hartford,  slope  opening;  railroad  connections,  Midland  Valley;  W.  H.  Miell- 
mier, manager. 

Enterprise  Coal  Co.,  mine  No.  3.  (formerly  known  as  the  Dallas  mine) ; 
one  mile  east  of  Hartford,  Ark.;  slope  opening;  railroad  connections,  Mid- 
land Valley;  W.  H.  Miellmier,  manager. 

Excelsior  Smokeless  Coal  Co.,  mine  No.  1;  three  and  one-half  miles  east 
of  Hackett;  slope  opening;  railroad  connections,  Midland  Valley  and  Frisco; 
Frank  A.  Graham,  manager. 

G.  F.  Petty  Coal  Co.,  Pigeon  Hole  mine;  at  Jenny  Lind;  railroad  connec- 
tions, Iron  Mountain;  G.  F.  Petty,  manager. 

Greenwood  Coal  Co.,  mine  No.  2;  slope  opening;  one  mile  east  of  Green- 
wood; railroad  connections;  Midland  Valley;  R.  A.  Young,  superintendent; 
Ed  Knox,  foreman. 

Hartford  Valley  Fuel  Co.,  mine  No.  2;  shaft  opening;  188  feet  deep; 
one  and  one-half  miles  southeast  of  Hartford;  railroad  connections,  Midland 
Valley;  John  M.  Young,  general  manager,  311  South  Olive,  Pittsburg,  Kan- 
sas; J.  V.  Anderson,  foreman,  Hartford,  Ark. 

Hackett  Coal  Mining  Co.  (Border  Mine);  slope  opening;  one  and  one- 
quarter  miles  west  of  Hackett;  railroad  connections,  Midland  Valley  and 
Frisco;  D.  H.  Cadmus,  manager. 

Hackett-Excelsior  Coal  Co.  (Elder  mine);  slope  opening;  three  and  one- 
half  miles  east  of  Hackett;  railroad  connections,  Midland  Valley  and  Frisco; 
E.  D.  Bedwell,  Manager,  Fort  Smith;  operated  by  the  Harper  &  Coleman 
Coal  Co.;  W.  T.  Harper,  Foreman,  Fort  Smith. 

Jenny  Lind  Smokeless  Coal  Co.,  mine  No.  18;  shaft  opening;  three 
miles  west  of  station;  Old  Jenny  Lind;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Moun- 
tain; W.  K.  Leyden,  manager,  406  Greenwood  avenue,  Ft.  Smith. 

Jenny  Lind  Co-Operative  Coal  Co.,  mine  No.  2;  slope  opening;  one-half 
mile  south  of  old  No.  17  of  the  Western  Coal  Mining  Co.;  railroad  connec- 
tions, Iron  Mountain;  Chas.  Herbert,  manager,  Bonanza,  Ark. 

Jim  Fork  Coal  Co.;  slope  opening;  three  miles  northeast  of  Hartford; 
railroad  connections,  Midland  Valley;  John  Conroy,  manager,  Hartford. 

Keisher  Coal  Co.,  Keisher  mine;  slope  opening;  one  mile  east  of  old 
No.  17;  Jenny  Lind;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  Frank  Keisher, 
manager. 

Katy  Coal  Co.,  Mine  No.  6;  shaft  opening;  one  and  one-quarter  miles 
northeast  of  Midland;  railroad  connections,  Midland  Valley;  H.  F.  Rogers, 
manager. 

Mama  Coal  Co.,  Mine  No.  5;  slope  opening;  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
southwest  of  old  No.  17;  Jenny  Lind;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain; 
Valentine  Varvack,  manager;  Bonanza. 

Mama  Coal  Co.,  Mine  No.  17%;  slope  opening;  three-quarters  of  mile 
southwest  of  old  No.%  17;  Jenny  Lind;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain; 
N.  M.  Henson,  manager. 

Mama  Coal  Co.,  Mine  No.  3;  slope  opening;  one  mile  southwest  of  old 
No.  17;  Jenny  Lind;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  Jos.  Dufore,  man- 
ager, Bonanza. 

New  Excelsior  Coal  Co.;  Italy  mine;  slope  opening;  two  and  one-half 
miles  southeast  of  Excelsior;  railroad  connections,  Midland  Valley;  G.  M. 
Cravens,  manager,  Greenwood. 

Smokeless  Coal  Co.,  Mine  No.  2;  slope  opening;  located  one-half  mile 
east  of  Montreal;  railroad  connections,  Frisco;  C.  C.  Woodson,  president, 
Huntington;  Chas.  Woodson,  foreman,  Midland. 

Ramsey  Coal  Co.,  Pigeon  Hole  Mine:  one  mile  southeast  of  old  No.  17; 
Jenny  Lind;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  R.  J.  Ramsey,  manager; 
R.  F.  D.  1,  Ft.  Smith. 

Smokeless  Coal  Co.,  Mine  No.  1;  slope  opening  three-quarters 
of  mile  east  of  station;  Montreal;  railroad  connections,  Frisco;  C.  C.  Wood- 
son,  president,  Huntington;  Charles  Woodson,  foreman,  Midland. 

Smokeless   Coal   Co.,   Mine   No.   3;    slope   opening;    three-quarters   mile 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  51 

east  of  station;    Montreal;    railroad  connections,     Frisco;    C.   C.   Woodson, 
president,  Huntington;    Chas.  Woodson,  foreman,  Midland. 

Simmons  Coal  Co.  (Wild  Cat  Mine) ;  three-quarters  mile  east  of  old  No. 
17;  Jenny  Lind;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  R.  C.  Petty,  manager, 
Jenny  Lind. 

Smith  Coal  Co.;  slope  opening;  one  mile  west  of  Hackett;  railroad 
connections,  Midland  Valley;  Richard  Smith,  manager. 

Security  Coal  Co.,  Dallas  Mine  No.  8;  slope  opening;  three-quarters 
mile  southwest  of  Midland;  railroad  connections,  Frisco;  D.  H.  Cadmus, 
manager,  Hackett. 

Sun  Coal  Co.;  shaft  opening;  four  miles  east  of  Hackett;  railroad  con- 
nections, Midland  Valley  and  Frisco;  D.  H.  Cadmus,  manager. 

Turnipseed  Coal  Co.;  slope  opening;  one  mile  east  of  Montreal;  rail- 
road connections,  Frisco;  C.  C.  Turnipseed,  manager,  Midland. 

Western  Coal  Mining  Co.,  Mine  No.  19;  slope  opening;  two  miles 
northeast  of  Iron  Mountain  Station;.  Jenny  Lind;  railroad  connections,  Iron 
Mountain;  A.W.  Dickinson,  general  superintendent;  Railway  Exchange  Bldg., 
St.  Louis,  Mo.;  Milton  Dollar,  foreman,  Jenny  Lind. 

Woodson-Barr  Coal  Co.,  Mine  No.  135;  slope  opening;  three  miles 
east  of  Bonanza;  railroad  connections,  Frisco;  R.  J.  Barr,  manager,  123 
Greenwood  avenue,  Ft.  Smith. 

Young  Coal  Co.,  Golden  Goose  Mine;  slope  opening;  one-half  mile  south 
of  Jenny  Lind,  Ark.;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  J.  W.  Young, 
manager. 

Simon  Coal  Co.,  Pigeon  Hole  Mine;  slope  opening;  one-quarter  mile 
northeast  of  Jenny  Lind;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  Phil  Simon, 
manager,  Jenny  Lind,  Ark. 

Henry  Cox  Coal  Co.,  Pigeon  Hole  Mine;  slope  opening  one-half  mile 
southwest  of  Jenny  Lind;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  Henry  Cox, 
manager. 

Joe  Smith  Coal  Co.,  Pigeon  Hole  Mine;  slope  opening;  three- 
quarters  mile  southwest  of  Jenny  Lind;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Moun- 
tain; Joe  Smith,  manager. 

W.  Vehitting  Coal  Co..  Strip  Mine;  one  mile  east  of  Jenny  Lind;  rail- 
road connections,  Iron  Mountain;  W.  Vehitting,  manager. 

G.  W.  Gunn  Coal  Co.,  Strip  Mine;  -one-half  mile  east  of  Jenny  Lind; 
railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  G.  W.  Gunn,  manager. 

Midland  Coal  Co.,  Mine  No.  5;  Pigeon  Hole  Mine;  slope  opening;  two 
miles  northeast  of  Midland;  railroad  connections,  Midland  Valley;  W.  D. 
Robinson,  manager. 

New  Corrado  Coal  Co.,  Mine  No.  1;  slope  opening;  three-quarters 
mile  east  of  Arkoal;  railroad  connections,  Frisco;  C.  E.  McKoin,  general 
manager,  Huntington;  B.  J.  Malone,  superintendent,  Arkoal. 

Rush  Coal  Co.,  Rabbit  mine;  pigeon  hole;  slope  opening;  two  and  one- 
half  miles  southeast  of  Hartford;  railroad  connections;  Midland  Valley;  W. 
H.  Rush,  manager. 

FRANKLIN  COUNTY. 

A.lix  Coal  Co.,  Superior  Mine;  slope  opening;  one  and  one-half  miles 
east  of  Alix;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  James  A.  Lewis,  manager. 

Douglas  Coal  Co.,  Douglas  mine;  shaft  opening;  two  miles  east  of  Alix; 
railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  Ben  Douglas,  manager. 

Haskell  Coal  Mining  Co.,  Strip  mine;  three  miles  north  of  Branch;  rail- 
road connections,  Arkansas  Central;  S.  C.  Awbrey,  manager,  Ft.  Smith,  Ark. 

Joe  Hoeing  Coal  Co.;  slope  opening;  one  and  three-quarter  miles  north- 
east of  Alix;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  Joe  Hoeing,  manager; 
Coal  Hill,  Ark. 

The  W.  E.  B.  Coal  Co.,  Strip  Mine;  two  and  one-half  miles  north  of 
Branch;  railroad  connections,  Missouri  Pacific;  S.  C.  Awbrey,  manager,  Ft. 
Smith,  Ark. 

Semi-Anthracite  Coal  Mining  Co..  Sambo  mine;  shaft  opening  one  mile 
east  of  Alix;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  H.  C.  Parmelee,  man- 
ager, Coal  Hill. 

Western  Coal  Mining  Co.,  mine  No.  2:  shaft  opening;  one-half  mile  west 
of  Denning;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  A.  W.  Dickinson,  general 


52  MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS 

superintendent;  Railway  Exchange  Bldg,  St.  Louis,  Mo.;  William  Eadie, 
superintendent.  Denning. 

Western  Coal  Mining  Co.,  Mine  No.  6;  shaft  opening;  one  and  one-half 
miles  west  of  Denning;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  A.  W.  Dickin- 
son, general  superintendent,  Railway  Exchange  Bldg.,  St.  Louis,  Mo.;  Wil- 
liam Eadie,  superintendent.  Denning. 

Denning  Coal  Co.,  Pendergrass  Mine;  shaft  opening;  two  miles  west 
of  Denning;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  G.  A.  Slye,  manager, 
Denning;  \V.  H.  Lewis,  foreman,  Alix. 

Liberty  Coal  Co.,  Liberty  mine;  slope  opening;  two  and  one-half  miles 
west  of  Denning;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  Mat  Evans  and  Ham 
Leding,  operators,  Altus. 

Harbottle  &  Bailey  Coal  Co.,  Mine  No.  10;  slope  opening;  two  and  one- 
half  miles  west  of  Denning;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  Harbottle 
&  Baley,  operators,  Altus. 

Black  Diamond  Coal  Co..  slope  opening;  two  and  one-half  miles  west 
of  Denning;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  H.  Page  manager,  Altus. 

Altus  Domestic  Coal  Co.;  slope  opening;  two  and  three-quarter  miles 
west  of  Denning;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  operated  by  D.  E. 
Kline,  J.  W.  Jackman,  W.  G.  Styles  and  J.  B.  Hale,  Altus,  Ark. 

JOHNSON  COUNTY. 

Blue  Hill  Coal  Co.,  Wallace  McKinney  mine;  shaft  opening;  three  miles 
east  of  Alix;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  H.  C.  Parmelee,  manager, 
Coal  Hill. 

George  E.  Dodson  Coal  Co.,  Mine  No.  1;  shaft  opening;  one  mile  south 
of  Denning  yards;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  mine  is  being  re- 
opened by  Dave  Pendergrass,  Altus. 

George  E.  Dodson,  Coal  Co.,  Mine  No.  2;  shaft  opening;  one  mile  east 
of  Denning  yards;  Sam  Sampson,  manager,  Denning,  Ark. 

Clark-McWilliams  Coal  Co.  (Igo  mine);  shaft  opening  at  the  McWil- 
liams  Spur;  West  of  Spadra;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  T.  M. 
Clark,  manager,  Clarksville. 

Collier-Dunlap  Coal  Co.  (Tight  Wad  Mine);  shaft  opening;  one  and  one- 
half  miles  east  of  Hartman;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  H.  W. 
Collier,  manager,  Clarksville. 

Douglas  &  Son  Coal  Co.,  Blue  Goose  Mine;  shaft  opening;  one  and  one- 
quarter  miles  southwest  of  Coal  Hill;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain; 
Ben  Douglas,  manager. 

Johnson  Coal  Co.,  Blue  Bird  Mine;  shaft  opening;  one  mile  east  of 
Hartman,  Ark. 

Boston  Spadra  Coal  Co.;  Daley  Mine;  near  Hartman:  A.  O.  Nichols, 
general  manager,  Joplin,  Mo.;  E.  H.  Fontain,  superintendent,  Clarksville,  Ark. 

Alvin  Laster,  Sterling  Anthracite  Coal  Co.,  mine;  shaft  opening;  three 
miles  south  of  Clarksville. 

Warner  Dunlap  Coal  Co.,  strip  mine;  three  miles  north  of  Spadra; 
Warner  Dunlap,  manager,  Clarksville. 

Albro  Martin,  Coal  Co.,  strip  mine;  two  and  one-half  miles  north  of  Spa- 
dra; Albro  Martin,  manager,  Clarksville. 

Rosson-Rowe  Coal  Co.,  strip  mine;  three  miles  north  of  Spadra;  Sam 
Rosson,  manager,  Clarksville. 

Johnson-Cunningham;  strip  mine;  two  and  one-half  miles  north  of  Spa- 
dra; railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  E.  H.  Johnson,  manager,  Clarks- 
ville. 

Kemp-Harding  Coal  Co.,  Kemp-Harding  mine;  shaft  opening;  near  Spa- 
dra; railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  J.  M.  Whitting,  manager. 

Fafter  Coal  Co.,  Fafter  Mine;  shaft  opening;  two  miles  east  of  Alix; 
railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  H.  C.  Parmelee,  manager,  Coal  Hill, 
Ark. 

Spadra  Coal  Co.,  Sunshine  mine;  shaft  opening;  near  the  station.  Mon- 
tana; railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  D.  A.  McKinney,  manager,  Clarks- 
ville. 

Smokeless  Anthracite  Coal  Mining  Co.;  shaft  opening:  two  mil^s  west 
of  Spadra;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  J.  E.  James,  manager, 
Clarksville. 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  5S 

Johnson-King  Coal  Co.,  Johnson-King  Mine;  shaft  opening;  three  miles; 
north  of  Spadra;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  E.  H.  Johnson,  man- 
ager, Clarksville. 

Lucas  Mardis  Coal  Co.,  Kneed  More  Mine;  shaft  opening;  near  the- 
Sunshine  Mine,  Spadra;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  P.  P.  Mardis, 
manager,  Clarksville. 

Spadra  Creek  Coal  Co.,  Pig  Mine;  shaft  opening,  near  the  Kneed  More 
Mine;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  E.  J.  Mardis,  manager,  Clarks- 
ville. 

W.  A.  Hill  Coal  Co.,  Hill  Mine;  shaft  opening  40  feet  deep;  two  and  one- 
half  miles  east  of  Denning  yards;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  W. 
A.  Hill,  manager,  Coal  Hill. 

LOGAN  COUNTY. 

C.  N.  Alexander  Coal  Co.;  shaft  opening;  two  miles  south  of  Scranton; 
railroad  connections;  Missouri  Pacific;  C.  N.  Alexander,  manager. 

Davis  Coal  Co.;  slope  opening;  six  miles  northwest  of  Paris;  railroad 
connections,  Missouri  Pacific;  W.  T.  Davis,  manager. 

Grand  Coal  Co.;  Mine  No.  1;  shaft  opening;  three-quarters  mHe  north- 
east of  Paris;  railroad  connections;  Missouri  Pacific;  W.  A.  Tinsley,  man- 
ager. 

Grand  Coal  Co.;  Mine  No.  2;  slope  opening;  one  mile  northeast  of 
Paris;  railroad  connections,  Missouri  Pacific;  W.  A.  Tinsley,  manager. 

Hendricks  Cook-Coal  Co.;  slope  opening;  Paris;  railroad  connections. 
Missouri  Pacific;  C.  H.  Hendricks,  manager. 

Watson-Sons  Coal  Co.;  slope  opening;  one-half  mile  north  of  Paris; 
railroad  connections,  Missouri  Pacific;  Jos.  Watson,  manager. 

James  A.  Cane  Coal  Co.;  Independent  mine;  slope  opening,  at  Paris; 
railroad  connections,  Missouri  Pacific;  James  A.  Cane,  manager. 

New  Blue  Ribbon  Coal  Co.;  slope  opening;  west  of  Paris;  railroad  con- 
nections, Missouri  Pacific;  H.  Wann,  manager. 

Liberty  Coal  Co.;  slope  opening;  one-half  mile  northwest  of  Paris; 
railroad  connections,  Missouri  Pacific;  Chas.  Wahl,  Jr.,  manager,  Paris,  Ark. 

Local  Coal  Co.;  slope  opening;  Paris;  railroad  connections,  Missouri 
Pacific. 

New  Union  Coal  Co.;  slope  opening;  two  miles  west  of  Paris;  railroad 
connections,  Missouri  Pacific;  H.  S.  Forrester,  manager. 

Ramie  Coal  Co.;  slope  opening;  one  mile  northeast  of  Paris;  railroad 
connections,  Missouri  Pacific;  J.  R.  Ramie,  manager. 

W.  H.  Coats  Coal  Co.;  slope  opening;  Paris;  railroad  connections,  Mis- 
souri Pacific;  W.  H.  Coats,  manager. 

Jewel  Coal  Co.  (old  Paris  Mine) ;  shaft  opening  one  and  one-half  miles 
north  of  Paris;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain;  Chas.  A.  Gaither,  super- 
intendent. 

POPE  COUNTY. 

Southern  Anthracite  Coal  Mining  Co.;  Bernice  Mine  No.  1;  shaft  open- 
ing, -486  feet  deep:  three  and  one-half  miles  southeast  of  Ru-sellville;  rail- 
road connections,  Iron  Mountain  and  Dardenelle  Branch;  J.  G.  Puterbau^h, 
president,  McAlester,  Oklahoma;  E.  W.  Hogan,  superintendent,  Russellville. 

Southern  Anthracite  Coal  Mining  Co..  Mine  No.  2;  slope  onening:  three 
miles  southeast  of  Russellville;  railroad  connections,  Iron  Mountain  and* 
Dardenelle  Branch;  J.  G.  Puterbaugh,  president.  McAlester,  Oklahoma;  E.  W. 
Hogan,  superintendent,  Russellville. 

Chas.  Reynolds  Coal  Co.;  slope  opening;  four  miles  northwest  of  Russell- 
ville; Chas  Reynolds,  manager. 

Ouita  Anthracite  Coal  Mining  Co.;  three  miles  west  of  Russellville. 

Nolen-Heir  &  Gilbreath  Coal  Co.;  five  miles  northwest  of  Russellville; 
R.  I.  Noland,  manager,  R.  F.  D.  3,  Russellville. 

Lewis  Coal  Co.,  Ouita  Mines  Nos.  1-2;   shaft  openings;   three  and  one- 
half  miles  northwest  of  Russellville;  B.  V.  Lewis,  manager,  R.  F.  D    3    Rus 
sellville. 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS 


SCOTT  COUNTY. 

Hodge  Coal  Co.;  slope  opening;  Bates;  railroad  connections,  Waldron 
Branch,  Kansas  City  Southern;  idle. 

Bethel  Coal  Co.;   Heavner  Mine;  slope  opening  at  Bates;   idle. 

Harper  Coal  &  Coke  Co.;  Mine  No.  1;  at  Baley;  idle. 

Bates  Smokeless  Coal  Co.;  Mine  No.  2;  slope  opening;  Bates;  J.  G. 
Puterbaugh,  president,  McAlester,  Okla.;  idle. 

CRAWFORD  COUNTY. 
John  Owens,  Grassy  Lake  Mine;    near  Alma;    idle. 

WASHINGTON  COUNTY. 

J.  W.  Turnsill;  two  and  one-half  miles  south  of  Baldwin. 
J.  R.  Stanberry,  Baldwin;  idle. 
H.  M.  Reed,  Baldwin;  idle. 
W.  M.  Edwards  &  Son  Coal  Co.;  Baldwin;  idle. 

REFERENCES 

Branner,  John  C. — Annual  Report  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  Arkansas 
for  1888,  Vol.  III.  The  geology  of  the  coal  regions;  a  preliminary  report  upon 
a  portion  of  the  coal  regions  of  Arkansas,  by  Arthur  Winslow,  map,  Little 
Rock,  1888. 

Branner,  John  C. — A  preliminary  statement  of  the  distribution  of  coal 
over  the  area  examined  by  the  Geological  Survey  (of  Arkansas).  Arkansas 
-Gazette,  Little  Rock,  Feb.  13,  1889. 

Branner,  John  C. — "The  Coal  Fields  of  Arkansas."  Mineral  Resources  of 
the  United  States,  Washington,  1893. 

Collier,  Arthur  J. — The  Arkansas  coal  field.  Bulletin  No.  316,  U.  S.  Geol. 
:Surv.,  Washington,  1907;  also  Bulletin  No.  326,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  1907. 

Drake,  N.  F. — A  geological  reconnaissance  of  the  coal  fields  of  the  In- 
dian Territory.  Proceedings  of  the  American  Philosophical  Society,  Vol. 
XXXVI,  with  ills,  and  maps. 

Purdue,  A.  H. — Coal  Mining  in  Arkansas.  Arkansas  Geol.  Surv.,  Part  I, 
1910. 

Steel,  A.  A. — Arkansas  Geol.  Surv.,  A.  H.  Purdue,  State  Geologist,  1912. 

Potter,-  Wm.  B. — Semi-bituminous  coal  of  Johnson  county  with  analyses. 
Transactions  of  the  American  Institute  of  Mining  Engineers,  Vol.  Ill,  1874, 
Philadelphia,  1875. 


Production  of  Coal  In  Arkansas  By  Years. 


Year 

1840 
1860 
1880 
1881 
1882 
1883 
1884 
1885 
1886 
1887 
1888 
1889 
1890 
1891 
1892 
1893 
1894 
1895 
1896 
1897 
1898 
1899 
1900 
1901 


Short  Tons 

220 

200 

14,778 

20.000 

22,000 

50,000 

75,000 

100,000 

125,000 

129,600 

276,871 

279,584 

399,888 

542,379 

535,558 

574,763 

572,626 

598,322 

675,374 

856,190 

1,205,479 

843,554 

1,447,945 

1,816,136 


Year  Short  Tons 

1902  1,943,932 

1903  2,229,172 

1904  2,009,451 

1905  1,934,673 

1906  1,864,268 

1907  2,670,438 

1908  2,078,357 

1909  2,377,157 

1910  1,905,958 

1911  2,106,789 

1912  2,100,819 

1913  2,234,107 

1914  1,836,540 

1915  1,652,106 

1916  '  1,994,915 

1917  2,143,579 

1918  2,227,369 

1919  *1,285,738 

1920  *1,990,263 

1921  *1,253,552 
Tonnage    of     Southwestern     Inter- 
state Coal  Operators'  Association,  esti- 
mated at  95  per  cent  of  total  produc- 
tion. 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  55 

Diamonds 

Four  areas  of  peridotite  (diamond-bearing  rock)  near  Murfreesboro;. 
Pike  County,  are  described  in  a  report  by  Hugh  D.  Miser,  (Bulletin  540 — U) 
published  by  the  U.  S.  Geolv  Surv.  in  1913.  One  of  these,  that  near  the  mouth 
of  Prairie  Creek,  has  been*  known  to  geologists  since  1842.  The  rock  was 
not  known,  however,  to  be  peridotite  until  1889,  when  Branner  and  Brackett 
studied  and  described  the  nature  of  the  rock  and  its  geologic  relations.  It 
is  said  that  Dr.  Branner  spent  half  a  day  searching  the  surface  of  the  small 
area  for  diamond  specimens.  Not  finding  any  of  the  precious  stones  he  re- 
frained from  making  a  sensational  announcement  or  arousing  undue  hopes, 
but'published  his  discovery  in  a  conservative  report  that  at  the  time  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  scientists  more  for  its  importance  in  suggesting  the 
time  and  character  of  the  disturbing  influences,  which  about  the  close  of 
the  Cretaceous  sank  the  greater  part  of  Arkansas  beneath  the  ocean,  than 
for  its  value  in  disclosing  a  new  diamond  field.  Dr.  Branner's  extreme  cau- 
tion, displayed  in  this  matter,  was  due,  no  doubt,  to  his  consideration  for  the 


Reduction   Plant,  Arkansas  Diamond  Corporation,   Murfreesboro,  Ark. 

public  mind  which,  at  about  that  time,  had  been  disappointed  by  the  failure 
to  find  gold  in  the  same  region,  following  a  tremendous  excitement  and  the 
loss  of  many  millions  of  dollars  in  unwise  mining  ventures. 

The  first  diamonds  were  actually  found  in  1906,  seventeen  years  after  the 
visit  of  Doctor  Branner  to  the  Prairie  Creek  district.  To  John  Huddleston, 
now  of  Arkadelphia,  belongs  the  credit  of  discovering  the  first  diamonds. 
These  rough  stones  were  sent  to  a  Little  Rock  jeweler  and  were  later  cut 
by  Tiffany  in  New  York,  being  pronounced  perfect  gems,  equal  in  purity  to 
those  of  South  Africa.  Thus  the  public  came  to  know  of  the  presence  of 
diamonds  in  Arkansas.  The  lands  containing  the  deposits  were  purchased, 
the  town  of  Kimberly  was  established  and  mining  operations  were  begun 
by  several  companies. 

According  to  the  best  information  that  is  available  at  least  5,000  dia- 
monds were  found  up  to  the  end  of  1919.  These  included,  white,  brown  and 
yellow  stones  and  a  canary-colored  octahedron  weighing  17.85  carats  and  a 
clear,  flat  stone  of  11  carats.  Only  one  company  has  operated  in  the  field 
since  1913,  and  that  upon  a  small  scale.  However,  it  is  said  that  sufficient 
diamonds  have  been  found  to  defray  the  small  maintenance  expenses. 


56  MINERALS    IN    ARKANSAS 

The  Arkansas  Diamond  Corporation,  in  1920,  erected  and  put  in  operation 
a  modern  reduction  plant  on  its  property  near  Murfreesboro,  this  plant  hav- 
ing equipment  necessary  to  wash  100,000  tons  of  earth  annually. 

REFERENCES 

Branner,  John  C.,  and  Brackett,  Richard  X. — The  Peridotite  of  Pike  County, 
Arkansas.  Annual  Report  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  Arkansas,  for  1890, 
Vol.  II. 

Branner,  John  C. — Some  facts  and  corrections  regarding  the  diamond  re- 

fion  of  Arkansas.     Engineering  and  Mining  Journal,  Vol.  L.XXXVII,  New  York, 
eb.  13,  1909. 

Kunz,  Geo.  F.,  and  Washington,  Henry  S. — Diamonds  in  Arkansas.  Bi- 
monthly Bulletin  of  the  American  Institute  of  Mining  Engineers  No.  20,  New 
York,  1908.  Engineering  and  Mining  Journal,  Aug.  10,  1907. 

Purdue,  A.  H. — A  new  discovery  of  peridotite  in  Arkansas.  Economic 
Geology,  Vol.  Ill,  August-September,  1918, 

Miser,  H.  D. — New  Areas  of  diamond-bearing  peridotite  in  Arkansas.  U. 
S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Bulletin  540. 


Dag-Tooth  Spar 

This  variety  of  calcite  less  common  than  rhombohedrons.    Magnet  Cove. 


Dolomite 

Ferriferous    and    cohaltef erous ;    Hot    Spring,    Polk,    Scott,    and    Logan 
counties. 


Eleolite 

In  coarse  crystals  in  granite  rock;  also  in  massive  rocks;  distribution 
general  and  abundant  in  regions  of  metamorphic  rocks.  Pulaski,  Saline, 
Garland,  Hot  Spring,  Montgomery,  Pike,  and  Polk  counties. 


Epsom  Salt 

In  caves  and  old  mine  tunnels  in  North  Arkansas. 


Fahlunite 

Hydrous   silicate  of   Hydro-mica   group.      (Hydrous  lime   mica).     From 
alteration  of  lolite.    Usually  in  granitic  or  hornblende  rocks.    Magnet  Cove. 


Florite  (Opal) 

In  form  of  Pealite,  etc.;  products  of  hot  springs;  sand  Carbonate  mine, 
Saline  County. 


Fluospar 

Garland  County,  near  Lawrence;  not  mined. 


Freibergite 

Kellogg  and  McRae  mines,  Pulaski  County,   Silver  City  region,   Mont- 
gomery County,  Sevier  County;  not  mined. 


Fuller's  Earth 

The  developed  deposits  of  Fuller's  earth  in  Arkansas  occur  in  an  area  of 
about  three  square  miles  which  lies  between  Hot  Springs  and  Benton.  The 
Missouri  Pacific  railroad  passes  through  this  area  about  seven  miles  west 
of  Benton.  *  *  *  These  deposits  were  discovered  in  1897,  by  John  Olsen  of 
Benton.  Mr.  Olsen  at  first  shipped  the  crude  earth  to  the  Fairbanks  Pack- 
ing Company,  St.  Louis,  by  which  it  was  milled  and  used.  He  later  erected 
at  Klondyke  station  a  plant  for  milling  the  crude  earth.  At  present  the 
other  operators  owning  plants  within  the  area  are  the  Fuller's  Earth  Union 
(Ltd.)  of  London,  England;  the  Fuller's  Earth  Company,  General,  of  Wil- 
ington,  Delaware,  imd  Fred  Ressner,  of  Little  Rock. 

(A  showing  of  Fuller's  Earth  is  also  reported  in  NE.  14,  S.  24,  T.  8S., 
R.  25  W.) 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  57 

Arkansas  was  the  second  largest  producer  of  Puller's  earth  in  the 
United  States  from  1904  to  1907,  Florida  being  first  in  amount  of  production. 
During  1909,  1910  and  1911,  Arkansas  was  third  in  output  and  value,  Florida 
being  in  first  place  and  Georgia  second.  The  amount  of  Fuller's  earth  pro- 
duced in  Arkansas  in  1909  was  2,314  short  tons,  valued  at  $18,313.00;  in 
1910  it  was  2,563  short  tons,  valued  at  $29,137.00. 

REFERENCES 

Middleton,  Jefferson. — Fuller's  Earth  in  1917,  U.  S.  Geol.,.  Surv.,  Mineral 
Resources  of  the  U.  S.,  1917,  Part  II. 

Branner,  John  C. — The  Clays. of  Arkansas,  Bulletin  351,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv. 
•Branner,  John  C. — An    Early    Discovery    of    Fuller's    Earth    in    Arkansas, 
Transactions  of  the  American  Institute  of  Mining  Engineers,  New  York,   1912. 
Miser,  H.  D. — Developed  Deposits  of  Fuller's  Earth  in  Arkansas,   Bulletin 
530 — Q,  U.  S.  Geol.   Surv. 


Garnet 

Include  here  Almandite,  Andradite,  Aplome,  Grossularite.  See  Schorlo- 
mite.  All  occur  in  "float,"  also  in  garnet  rock  (grossular)  and  in  granitic  and 
feldspathic  rocks.  Magnet  Cove. 


Geyserite 

Silica  (Opal).  See  Pealite,  Fiorite,  Girasol,  Siliceous  sinter.,  (Opal).  In 
heavy  deposits  covering  large  areas,  but  of  varying  character.  See  under 
special  names;  Porcelain  variety  (Girasol)  like  Yellowstone  Park  deposits 
north  of  Magnet  Cove,  at  "Spanish  Diggings."  Magnet  Cove. 


Girasol  (Opal) 

About  ancient  hot  spring  bowls,  with  tendency  to  cuboidal  jointing. 


Glass  Sand 

Since  the  establishment  of  glass  factories  at  Fort  Smith  and  Texar- 
kana,  where  these  industries  have  access  to  natural  gas,  the  cheapest  and 
best  of  fuels,  a  more  convenient  market  is  afforded  for  the  valuable  glass 
sands  of  the  state.  It  is  said  that  the  Fort  Smith  plant  uses  1,000  tons  of 
sand  a  month  and  that  the  Arkansas  sands  are  preferred,  but  because  of  an 
inability  to  get  cars  for  the  shorter  haul  the  material  at  present  is  brought 
from  Pacific,  Missouri. 

The  glass  sands  of  the  saccharodial  sandstone,  (St.  Peter)  quarried  at 
Guion,  Izard  County,  are  probably  the  purest  and  most  extensive  in  the  state. 
This  sand  is  so  pure  that  it  is  not  even  stained.  Glass  sands  are  found  in  the 
St.  Peter  sandstone  in  North  Arkansas  from  Batesville  to  Fayetteville.  It  is 
quite  as  good  as  the  best  glass  sands  of  Missouri  but  is  of  finer  grain. 

The  King's  River  member  of  the  Everton  limestone  formation  in  Carroll 
and  Madison  Counties  is  recommended  as  a  glass  sand. 

At  Whitlock  Spur,  near  Bryant,  Saline  County,  there  is  an  extensive 
deposit  of  high  grade  glass  sand. 

Purdue  says:  "The  novaculite  of  the  Ouachita  Mountains  probably 
would  produce  glass  of  fine  quality." 

A  deposit  of  glass  sand  is  reported  in  Jefferson  County  near  Pine  Bluff. 

With  reference  to  the  glass  sands  of  Crowley's  Ridge,  in  Greene  County, 
the  following  is  quoted  from  the  report  of  the  Arkansas  Geological  Survey, 
Vol.  II,  1889. 

"The  sand  is  white.  *  *  *  It  would  make  an  excellent  bottle  glass 
sand,  or  even  the  cheaper  grades  of  window  glass  could  be  made  from  it. 
Its  product  would  be  green  in  color,  but  less  deep  than  the  common  green 
bottle  glass,  owing  to  the  small  amount,  of  iron  present.  With  soda  and  lime 
added  it  would  make  a  fairly  good  window  glass." 

REFERENCES 

Burehard,  E.  F. — Glass  Sands  of  the  Middle  Mississippi  Basin,  Bulletin  No. 
285,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv. 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS  5fr 

Gold 

For  many  years  there  has  been  a  vague,  but  persistent  faith  in  the 
existence  of  gold  in  paying  quantities  in  Arkansas.  From  time  to  time  re- 
peated discoveries  of  this  metal  have  caused  much  excitement  in  different 
localities.  One  by  one  the  successive  "finds"  have  proven  barren  when 
thoroughly  tested.  The  little  known  portions  of  the  mountainous  country 
have  always  been  regarded  curiously  and  reported  discovery  in  those 
regions  have  received  more  ready  credence,  perhaps  because  of  the  supposed 
existence  of  granite  rocks. 

.  The  various  agencies  which  have  been  at  work  in  Arkansas  have  not  had 
access  to  any  important  supply  of  gold;  the  processes  of  deposition  have 
acted  too  rapidly  to  accumulate  gold  in  workable  deposits;  the  auriferous 
deposition,  if  any  has  taken  place,  has  been  spread  over  such  vast  areas  as 
to  dilute  the  whole  to  a  condition  of  extreme  poverty;  there  has  been  no- 
special  accumulations;  structural  conditions  are  unfavorable;  gold  is  absent 
in  situations  most  favorable  for  its  retention  and  is  invariably  absent  in  the 
"float"  and  the  sands  and  gravels.  Nowhere  has  gold  been  found  in  workable 
quantities.  J[ 

REFERENCES 
Branner,  John  C. — Annual  Report,  Ark.   Geol.  Surv.,   1888,  Vol.  I. 

" Granite"  (Syenite) 

The  total  area  of  igneous  rock  exposed  within  the  boundaries  of  the 
State  of  Arkansas  does  not  exceed  thirteen  or  fourteen  square  miles,  but 
the  value  of  these  rocks  as  building  and  paving  materials  gives  them  great 
economic  importance. 

The  eleolite  syenites  were  probably  all  produced  from  one  magma, 
but  since  they  occur  in  four  well-defined  areas,  and  as  the  rocks  which  form 
these  various  areas  differ  greatly  in  their  mineralogic  independent  groups, 
which  can  hardly  be  sufficiently  correlated  with  the  others  to  allow  of  their 
all  being  described  together. 

These  four  regions  are: 

1.  The  Fourche  Mountain  or  Pulaski  County  region. 

2.  The  Saline  County  region. 

3.  The  Magnet  Cove  region. 

4.  The  Potash  Sulphur  Springs  region. 

Outside  of  these  four  typical  regions  there  are  many  dikes  of  igneous 
rock  which  as  far  as  their  petrographic  characteristics  are  concerned  might 
be  associated,  as  well  with  one  group  as  with  another,  and  which  are,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  probably  directly  connected  with  none  of  them,  although 
formed  from  the  same  magma  from  which  they  all  derived  their  material. 

(In  additon  to  the  masses  described  there  are  four  masses  of  peridotite 
near  Murfreesboro,  Pike  County,  together  with  a  number  of  related  dikes. 
A  study  of  these  masses  has  proved  that  these  igneous  rocks  of  Arkansas 
were  all  probably  formed  during  the  land  interval  separating  the  upper  and 
lower  Cretaceous  periods.) 

REFERENCES 

Branner,  John  C. — Annual  Report  of  the  Geol.  Surv.  of  Arkansas  for  1890, 
Vol.  II,  The  igneous  rocks  of  Arkansas,  by  J.  Francis  Williams,  Little  Rock, 
1891. 

Washington,  H.  S. — The  igneous  complex  of  Mag-net  Cove,  Arkansas.  Ab- 
stract, Science,  March  16,  1900,  Vol.  XI,  Bulletin  Geological  Society  of  America, 
Vol.  XI,  Rochester,  1900.  Review,  American  Naturalist,  Vol.  XXXV,  May  1901. 
Review,  Technology  Quarterly,  Vol.  VII. 


Graphite 

Graphite  is  abundant  and  pure  in  many  localities  in  the  Trap  Mountains 
in  Hot  Spring  County.  It  occurs  also  in  the  form  of  graphitic  shale  in 
Garland  and  Montgomery  counties.  Some  of  this  material  is  of  excellent 
quality,  while  some  of  it  occurs  in  streaks  or  pockets  only,  and  much  is 
mixed  with  earthy  matter.  The  impure  varieties  are  available  for  paints. 

Purdue  says:  "Possibly  the  most  promising  outcrop  is  in  the  bed  of 
Collier  Creek  at  Buttermilk  Springs,  northeast  of  Caddo  Gap  in  Montgomery 
County. 


•60  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

Drake  reports  the  presence  of  graphitic  Shale  at  the  Dickinson  brick 
yard  in  the  southern  part  of  Little  Rock — a  gray-black  material  suitable  for 
paint  making. 


Gravel 

Several  thick  deposits  of  gravel  are  widely  distributed  along  the  north 
edge  of  the  Gulf  Costal  Plain.  The  gravels  are  of  Lower  Cretaceous,  Upper 
•Cretaceous  and  Quarternary  age  and  are  composed  mainly  of  pebbles  of 
novaculite  (a  variety  of  chert)  derived  from  the  Arkansas  novaculite  ex- 
posed in  the  Ouachita  Mountain  region.  They  are  used  in  making  concrete, 
in  ballasting  railroads  and  in  the  construction  of  wagon  roads.  The  Pike 
gravel  is  the  thickest  and  most  persistent  gravel  bed  in  the  area  and  has  a 
larger  surface  distribution  than  any  other.  The  thickness  is  rather  uni- 
form, being  in  most  places  between  20  and  50  feet,  but  it  apparently  attains 
100  feet  near  Pike.  This  gravel  consists  of  pebbles  usually  less  than  half 
an  inch  in  diameter,  but  it  contains  many  larger  ones  and  also  many  cobbles 
as  much  as  ten  inches  in  diameter.  These  pebbles  have  not  been  used  in 
tube  mills,  but  they  are  of  such  a  character  that  it  is  believed  well  selected 
pebbles  may  be  suited  for  this  purpose. 

The  gravel  beds  of  Crowley's  Ridge  in  Northeast  Arkansas  are  of  varying 
thickness,  being  deposited  on  a  surface  which  indicates  very  considerable 
erosion  at  a  period  prior  to  their  deposition.  The  gravels  are  made  up  mainly 
of  a  light-colored  chert,  are  generally  well  rounded  or  waterworn,  rarely 
angular  and  always  well  polished.  When  in  place  they  are  always  rudely 
assorted,  cross-bedded  and  mingled  with  more  or  less  sand.  The  gravel  is 
considerably  above  the  general  level  of  the  country,  reaching  often  to  the 
Tery  tops  of  the  highest  hills.  Deposits  occur  at  various  points  along  the 
ridge  from  the  Missouri  border  to  Helena. 

'  In  the  bed  of  the  Arkansas  River  throughout  its  course  in  Arkansas  and 
in  the  beds  of  many  of  its  tributaries,  are  gravel  bars  containing  large 
-quantities  of  material  suitable  for  road-building. 

On  the  higher  hills  about  Little  Rock  and  northwest  of  that  city  are 
quantities  of  surface  gravel.  Similar  ridges  occur  in  Saline,  Grant  and 
Dallas  counties  and  in  other  parts  of  Southwest  Arkansas. 

REFERENCES 

Miser,  H.  D.,  and  Purdue,  A.  H. — Gravel  Deposits  of  the  Caddo  Gap  and 
DeQueen  Quadrangles,  Arkansas,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Bulletin  690 — B. 

Branner,  John  C. — Crowley's  Ridge,  Annual  Report  Arkansas  Geological 
Purvey,  Vol.  II,  1889. 

Branner,  John  C. — Road-Making-  Materials  of  Arkansas,  Outlines  of  Ar- 
kansas Geology,  State  Bureau  of  Mines,  Manufacturers  and  Agriculture,  Little 
Bock,  1920. 

Greenockite 

In  zinc  and  lead  districts  of  North  Arkansas. 


Grossularite 

See  Garnet.     Grossular  rock  and  other  non-crystalline  or  crypto-crystal- 
line  forms.     Magnet  Cove. 


Gypsum 

"The  Trinity  formation  (of  Southwest  Arkansas)  is  rich  in  gvpsum  and 
gypsiferous  marls,  the  latter  too  impure  for  the  arts,  but,  suitable  for  an  agri- 
cultural fertilizer  or  land  plaster.  At  the  gypsum  bluff,  or  "Plaster  Bluff." 
as  it  is  familiarly  called,  two  and  one-half  miles  south  of  Murfreesboro,  in 
Pike  County,  there  are  strata  of  pure  saccharoidai  alabaster,  from  6  inches 
to  6  feet  in  thickness,  with  seams  of  satin  spar.  This  gypsum  is  sufficiently 
pure  to  make  plaster  of  paris,  as  well  as  fertilizer,  and  will  no  doubt  be  a 
source  of  much  wealth  to  the  country  some  day.  The  same  geologic  horizon 
as  that  containing  the  gypsum  beds  on  Little  Missouri  River  outcrops  spar- 
ingly at  many  points  along  the  southern  scarp  of  the  Fort  Towson  road 
valley."— Report  Arkansas  Geol.  Surv.,  Vol.  II,  1888. 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 


61 


Prof.  A.  H.  Purdue  ihentions  the  presence  of  gypsum  on  Messers  Creek, 
north  of  Center  Point,  in  Howard  County. 

Gypsum,  or  "satin  spar,"  occurs  in  broad  crystals,  fibrous  and  earthy, 
in  the  zinc  and  lead  districts  of  North  Arkansas.  This  mineral  also  has 
been  observed  in  parts  of  Saline  County  where  pyrite  and  limestone  are 
found. 

REFERENCES 

Hill,  Robt.  T. — The  Neozoic  Geolog-y  of  Arkansas,  Vol.  II,  Report,  Geological 
Survey  of  Arkansas,  1888. 

.Branner,  J.  C. — Report  Arkansas  Geol.  Surv.,  Vol  V,  1892. 


Halotrichite 

Incrustations  in  black  shale;    Sloan's  well,  Black    Spring,  Montgomery 
County;  Cox's  Alum  Springs  near  Boles,  Scott  County. 


Hornblende 

Aluminous  magnesia-lime  Amphibole.     In  syenites;   Diamond  Jo  quarry 
and  other  places  near  and  in  Magnet  Cove. 


Hydrotitanite 

Altered  Perofskite.    In  crystals,  locally,  form  perofskite,  but  gray  color. 
Magnet  Cove. 


Hypersthene 

Magnesia-iron-silicate.     Some  of  the  labradorite  rock,  bearing  brookite 
crystals,  has  also  this  mineral.    Magnet  Cove. 


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62  MINERALS    IN    ARKANSAS 

Idocrase 

Aluminum-calcium-iron-magnesia  silicate.     Vesuvianite    (Syn.);    as   ido- 
erase  rock,  sometmes  with  imbedded  crystals.    Magnet  Cove. 

lolite 

Alumina  silicate,  with  other  oases.    In  metamorphic  rocks,  rarely  in  un- 
altered condition.     See  Fahlunite  for  altered  forms.     Magnet  Cove. 


Iron 

The  result  of  the  survey's  investigation  of  the  iron  deposits  of  the 
state  have  not  met  the  expectations  and  hopes  of  their  commercial  value, 
with  which  the  work  was  begun.  The  number  of  places  at  which  iron  de- 
posits occur  throughout  the  state  is  almost  endless,  but  the  examination  of 
these  deposits  and  the  chemical  analyses  of  the  ores  show  that  most  of 
them  are  either  too  limited  in  extent,  or  that  they  are  too  low  in  grade  to 
admit  of  their  being  worked.  The  deposits  of  Lawrence  and  Sharp  counties 
are  the  only  ones  that  merit  attention,  and  whether  these  deposits  can  be 
worked  now  must  depend  on  economic  conditions — transportation,  markets 
and  competition. 

REFERENCES 

Branner,  John  C. — Annual  Report,  Ark.  Geol.,  Surv.,  1892,  Vol.  I.  "The  Iron 
Deposits  of  Arkansas,"  by  A.  F.  Penrose,  Jr. 

Iron  Pyrites 

The  constantly  increasing  use  of  pyrites  in  the  manufacture  of  sulphuric 
acid  may  make  available  in  the  future  the  deposits  which  occur  on  the  South 
slope  of  West  Mountain,  two  miles  west  of  Hot  Springs,  Garland  County;  in 
Southern  Polk  County  and  at  Golden  City,  in  Logan  County. 

Pyrite  ("fool's  gold,"  "mundic,"  iron  disulphide;  sulphur,  53.4;  iron, 
46.6  per  cent;  brass  yellow,  often  in  cubes,  sometimes  massive),  found  in 
small  quantities  at  a  few  of  the  zinc  mines  in  North  Arkansas ;  notably  hard. 


Jasper 

Of  various  colors,  among  the  ancient  hot  spring  deposits;  Montgomery 
County;  Caddo  Gap,  Polk  County;  Eagle  Hill. 

Jefferisite 

Micaceous,  swells  enormously  when  highly  heated;  associated  with 
aegerite-rock,  and  among  other  metamorphic  rocks,  as  serpentine;  north 
of  Magnet  Cove;  Garland  and  Hot  Spring  counties;  south  of  Hot  Springs; 
McAllister's  mill,  Saline  County;  Montgomery  County. 


Labradorite 

Lime-soda  feldspar;   as  base  of  intrusive  rocks,  in  basaltic  and  other 
basic  rocks. 


Lead 

"Galena  (lead  sulphide) — the  principal  lead  ore  mineral — has  been 
mined  in  limited  quantities  in  Baxter,  Benton,  Carroll,  Boone,  Marion,  New-, 
ton,  Washington,  and  other  counties  of  Northern  Arkansas.  In  Western  Ar- 
kansas it  has  been  found  sparingly  and  mined  occasionally  in  Garland 
County,  near  Blakely  Creek;  Hot  Spring  County,  at  Point  Cedar;  Mont- 
gomery county,  at  Rubicon,  near  Virginia  City  and  at  Minnesota,  Montezu- 
ma,  Walnut  and  Waterloo  mines;  Pulaski  County,  Kellogg  and  McRae 
mines;  Sevier  County,  at  Bellah  mine,  in  Gulch  shaft,  New  Discovery  shaft, 
near  Conboy  and  elsewhere.  Cerusite  (lead  carbonate)  occurs  in  Howard, 
Montgomery,  Newton  arid  other  counties,  with  galena  and  coating  it  in 
mines  in  Northern  Arkansas." — Bulletin  624,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Useful  Min- 
erals of  the  United  States. 


MINERALS    IN    ARKANSAS  63 

MINE    PRODUCTION    OF    LEAD    IN    ARKANSAS 

Year  Short  Tons  Year  Short  Tons 


1909  19 

1910  28 

1911  24 
1912 

1913  18 


1915  437 

1916  820 

1917  852 

1918  564 

1919  687 


.  1914  28 

The  ores  are  galena,  sphalerite  and  smithsonite  and  the  concentrates 
produced  are  generally  of  high  grade  and  free  from  or  very  low  in  iron  or 
lime.  The  sphalerite  has  frequently  assayed  2  to  3  per  cent  above  the  price 
basis  of  60  per  cent,  metallic  zinc  content.  The  sphalerite  and  smithsonite 
are  shown  by  analysis  to  contain  appreciable  quantities  of  cadmium,  espec- 
ially in  a  yellow  variety  of  smithsonite,  known  locally  as  turkey  fat,  which 
shows  as  high  as  0.8  per  cent  of  cadmium. 

REFERENCES 

AVinslow,  Arthur. — Lead  and  zinc  deposits,  Mo.  Geol.  Surv.,  VI  and  VII, 
Jefferson  City,  1894.  (Contains  bibliography.) 

lirunner,  John  C. — Annual  Report  Arkansas  Geological  Survey,  Vol  V. 
1892.  Zinc  and  Lead. 


Lignite 

Extending  northwestward  from  Camden,  is  a  small  area  of  typical  brown 
subcannel  coal,  whi-ch  has  been  tested  for  oil  and  gas  production  with  very 
favorable  results.  The  coal  bed  has  been  traced  from  about  2  miles  north- 
west of  Camden  for  13  miles  to  the  northwest  and  has  been  opened  and 
mined  in  a  small  way  at  a  number  of  places.  The  coal  ranges  from  3  to  6  feet 
in  thickness. 

Physically  the  Camden  coal,  as  it  comes  from  the  mine  is  brownish 
olack  and  compact  and  has  a  generally  uniform  even  texture  and  structure. 
Occasionally  fragments  of  lignite  with  clearly  marked  woody  structure  may 
oe  seen.  It  has  an  uneven  conchoidal  fracture.  It  is  soft  but  not  friable, 
that  is,  it  may  be  easily  mined  with  the  pick  and  may  be  cut  with  a  knife 
as  readily  as  compact  dry  clay,  but  will  not  crumble  between  the  fingers. 
When  cut  or  scratched  with  a  knife  it  shows  a  shiny  or  oily  streak.  Upon 
being  exposed  to  dry  air,  the  coal  contracts  and  cracks  both  along  the  bed- 
ding and  at  right  angles  to  it  so  that  fragments  may  be  broken  by  the  hand, 
but  the  mass  does  not  fall  to  pieces.  The  coal  is  then  blacker  and  harder 
than  when  fresh  and  the  streak  or  powder  is  more  nearly  black.  On  being 
exposed  for  a  short  time  to  the  repeated  action  of  rain,  dew,  and  snow, 
however,  it  will  disintegrate  into  small  particles. 

From  this  description  the  coal  is  evidently  of  lignite  rank,  but  so  far  as 
tested  it  appears  to  give  a  higher  candlepower  gas  than  other  lignites. 
Chemically,  as  shown  by  the  analyses  it  contains  from  32  to  38  per  cent  of 
water  when  fresh.  In  dry  air  the  moisture  will  reduce  to  9  to  11  per 
cent,  but  this  will  be  reincreased  to  20  to  22^  per  cent  if  the  coal  is  sub- 
mitted to  saturated  air.  The  volatile  matter  in  the  fresh  coal  is  32  to  36 
per  cent  and  44  to  46  per  cent  in  the  air-dried  coal;  and  the  fixed  carbon  in 
the  fresh  coal  is  17  to  23  per  cent  in  the  air-dried  coal.  The  ash  remains 
from  7.5  to  11  per  cent  in  the  fresh  coal  and  sulphur  0.5  per  cent  or  less 
in  the  fresh  material. 

This  coal  was  tested  by  the  Pittsburgh  Testing  Laboratory.  The  aver- 
age result  of  10  tests,  at  a  temperature  of  1,800  to  2,000  degrees  F.,  was  a 
yield  of  11,386  cubic  feet  of  22.3  candlepower  gas. 

Tertiary  lignites  occur  in  most  of  the  counties  of  Southern  Arkansas. 
Probably  the  deposits  nearest  approaching  in  value  those  of  the  Camden 
district  are  in  Pike  and  Clark  counties,  but  no  use  has  yet  been  made  of 
this  fuel.  The  location  of  the  lignite  is  more  interesting  as  indicating  the 
character  of  the  associated  clays. 

LIGNITE   OF  CROWLEY'S    RIDGE 

The  lignites  of  the  Crowley's  Ridge  region  are  all  of  Tertiary  age.  *  *  * 
They  occur  in  the  form  of  outcrops  along  the  streams  and  in  gullies  with  an 


64  MINERALS    IN    ARKANSAS 

occasional  bed  appearing  in  wells.  The  thickness  of  these  lignite  beds  i& 
exceedingly  variable.  Usually  they  are  less  than  five  feet  thick,  though 
the  Bolivar  Creek  beds  in  Poinsett  Gounty  are  seven  feet  or  more  in 
thickness.  It  is  also  noticeable  that  the  vertical  distribution  of  the  several 
beds  is  irregular,  some  of  them  occurring  high  up  in  the  hills,  while  others 
are  at  their  base  or  below  it.  So  far  as  traced  all  these  beds  are  independent 
of  each  other,  having  been  formed  at  different  times,  and  they  are  generally 
in  lenticular  shapes,  most  of  which  cover  but  a  few  acres  and  many  of 
them  but  a  few  hundred  square  yards.  Their  chemical  analyses  show  that 
the  Bolivar  Creek  and  the  Clay  County  lignites  are  the  best.  The  poorest 
is  that  found  in  St.  Francis  County,  T.  4  N.  R.  4  E.,  on  Section  26. 

REFERENCES 

Taflf,  J.  A. — Preliminary  report  on  the  Camden  coal  field  of  Southwestern 
Arkansas.  Twenty-first  Annual  Report  of  the  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  1899-1900, 
Part  II,  Washington,  1900. 

Taff,  J.  A. — The  Camden  coal  fields  of  Southwestern  Arkansas,  XXI  Annual 
Report.  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Part  II,  pp.  313-329,  1900. 

Branncr,  John  C. — Clays  of  Arkansas.     U.   S.  Geol.  Surv.,   Bull.   351,   1908. 


Lithographic  Stone 

A  somewhat  extended  search  has  been  made  in  Arkansas  for  a  litho- 
graphic stone,  but  thus  far  the  search  has  been  unsuccessful.  The  nearest 
approach  to  success  was  at  the  Warden  property  on  West  Lafferty  Creek  in 
Izard  County,  where  a  quarry  was  opened  and  considerable  work  done  some 
years  ago.  It  is  reported  that  some  good  samples  were  obtained,  which 
answered  all  the  required  tests,  but  the  work  suddenly  ceased,  as  it  was 
found  that  the  greater  part  of  the  stone  was  worthless  for  lithographic  pur- 
poses on  account  of  the  fine  crystalline  particles  scattered  through  it.  The 
crystalline  parts  are  in  some  places  but  single  crystals,  in  others  they  are 
fine,  hair-like  veins,  so  small  as  to  be  almost  invisible  to  the  naked  eye. 
These  crystals  splinter  or  break  with  ragged  edges  under  the  engraver's 
tool,  thus  injuring  the  stone  for  fine  work. 

The  layers  from  which  this  stone  was  obtained  are  from  two  to  four  inches 
thick  with  a  total  thickness  of  about  two  feet.  They  are  overlaid  bv  20' 
feet  of  Izard  limestone  and  underlaid  by  over  170  feet  of  the  same  rock. 

The  Izard  limestone  is  a  smooth,  fine-grained,  compact,  homogeneous,  non- 
fosseliferous,  evenly  bedded  limestone,  breaking  with  a  conchoidal  frac- 
ture and  is  mostly  of  a  dark  blue  color,  varying  locally  to  buff,  light  and 
dark  gray,  and  almost  black.  It  has  a  specific  gravity  of  2,7272  corresponding 
to  a  weight  of  170.45  pounds  per  cubic  foot.  A  partial  chemical  analyses 
shows  the  following: 

Insoluable  in  hydrochloric  acid 34 

Carbonate  of  lime  (Ca  CO3)  98.67 

Carbonate  of  Magnesia  (Mg  COS)  2.14 

Total    101.15 

REFERENCES 
Branner,  John  C. — Annual  Report  Ark.   Geol  Surv.,   1890,  Vol.   IV. 


Limestone 

In  spite  of  the  abundance  of  limestone  in  Arkansas  suitable  for  lime 
burning,  the  state  imports  lime  instead  of  exporting  it.  As  the  limestone 
region  of  North  Arkansas  becomes  traversed  by  railways  the  burning  of  lime 
should  become  one  of  the  most  important  industries.  There  are  limestones 
in  the  Tertiary  and  Cretaceous  areas  of  the  central  and  southwestern  por- 
tions of  the  state,  yet  the  Paleozoic  limestones  of  the  northern  part  of  the 
state  are  so  superior  for  lime  burning  that  it  is  to  them  the  state  must  look 
for  its  lime  supply.  The  chalk  beds  will,  no  doubt,  become  valuable  in  the 
manufacture  of  Portland  cement,  but  for  common  lime  it  cannot  compete 
with  the  Paleozoic  limestones. 

While  in  North  Arkansas  there  are  not  less  than  seven  distinct  beds  of 
limestone  persistent  over  large  areas,  and  others  of  more  limited  extent,  it 
is  noteworthy  that  nearly  all  the  lime  that  has  been  burnt  has  come  from  a 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 


65 


single  bed— the  limestone  in  the  Boone  Chert.  It  has  a  greater  areal 
extent  than  any  of  the  other  beds,  yet  others  of  large  extent  would  make 
equally  as  good  lime. 

Following  is  the  analysis  of  limestone  from  the  Boone  chert  formation 
in  Independence  County: 

Per.  Cent. 

Carbonate  of  Lime  98.43 

Carbonate  of  Magnesia  95 

Insoluble   Residue   28 

Without  taking  into  account  the  proximity  to  transportation,  the  dif- 
ferent beds  of  limestone  considered  solely  in  the  light  of  their  value  for 
making  lime,  would  rank  about  as  follows: 

First,  Izard  limestone. 

Second,  Boone  chert  limestone. 

Third,  St.  Joe  marble. 

Fourth,  St.  Clair  marble. 

Fifth,  Archimedes  limestone. 

Sixth,  Pentremital  limestone. 

Seventh,  Magnesian  limestone. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  while  limestone  is  widely  distributed  in  the 
state,  all  that  is  suitable  for  building  purposes  occurs  north  of  the  Boston 
Mountains,  and  all  the  rocks  of  any  considerable  importance  for  lime-burning 
occur  in  the  same  place.  The  chalk  beds  of  Southwestern  Arkansas  are 
the  only  lime  deposits  south  of  the  Boston  Mountains  which  are  likely  to 
have  any  great  commercial  value. 

REFERENCES 

Branner,  John  C. — Value  of  lime  as  a  fertilizer  and  discussion  of  de- 
posits at  White  Cliffs.  Arkansas  Geol.  Surv.  of  1888,  Vol.  II. 

Hopkins,  T.  C. — Lime  Industry  of  Arkansas.  Annual  Report,  Arkansas 
Geol.  Surv.,  1890,  Vol.  IV,  Little  Rock,  1893. 

Means,  J.  H. — Carboniferous  limestones  on  the  South  side  of  the  Boston 
Mountains.  Annual  Report  of  the  Geol.  Surv.,  of  Arkansas  for  1890,  Vol.  IV, 
Little  Rock,  1893. 

Harris,  Gilbert  D.,  Assistant  Geologist. — Annual  Report  Arkansas  Geol. 
Surv.  for  1892,  Vol.  II. 


Manganese    Mining    in    Independence    County. 


66 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS 


Manganese 

Manganese  ores  occur  in  two  different  parts  of  Arkansas,  one  in  the 
Batesville  region,  mostly  in  Independence  and  Izard  counties,  in  the  north- 
eastern part  of  the  state;  the  other  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  state, 


25  O  25  50  75  lOOMiles 


Map  Showing  Batesville  Manganese  Area,  from  U.  S.  Geological  Survey 

Report. 

in  the  region  extending  from  Pulaski  County  on  the  east  to  Polk  County  and 
the  Oklahoma  border  on  the  west.  In  the  former  region  considerable 
mining  has  been  done;  in  the  latter  the  amount  of  work  has  been  limited. 
The  two  regions  approach,  in  their  nearest  parts,  within  about  90  miles  of 
^ach  other,  the  southern  extension  of  the  Batesville  region  being  about  that 
-distance  northeast  of  the  manganese  area  of  Pulaski  County,  while  it  is  over 
150  miles  northeast  of  the  manganese  area  of  Polk  County. 

The  developed  manganese  deposits  in  the  Batesville  region  lie  in  a  belt 
20  miles  long  by  4  to  8  miles  wide,  which  extends  westward  through  Inde- 
pendence, Sharp,  and  Izard  counties,  in  the  northeastern  part  of  the  state, 
but  are  mainly  in  Independence  county.  Maganese  is  not  likely  to  be  found 
in  every  part  of  this  belt,  but  the  deposits,  which  differ  greatly  in  size,  are 
extensive.  One  hundred  and  eighty  mines  and  prospects,  have  produced  ore. 

The  ores  are  manganese  oxides,  chiefly  psilomelane,  hausmannite,  and 
braunite.  Wad  and  manganite  also  occur  in  minable  quantity  and  the  ores  in 
places  include  pyrolusite.  Although  these  minerals  may  be  found  separately, 
two  or  more  are  generally  mixed  in  the  same  deposit  and  at  a  few  places  they 
are  associated  with  ferruginous  manganese  ores  and  with  small  quantities  of 
brown  and  red  iron  oxides.  At  some  places  the  ferruginous  manganese  ores 
predominate. 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS  67 

The  high-grade  manganese  ores  generally  contain  45  to  52  per  cent  of 
manganese  though  some  of  the  ore  shipped  contains  as  much  as  60  per 
cent  of  manganese.  Most  of  the  ores  contain  from  3  to  8  per  cent  of  iron, 
0.15  to  0.30  per  cent  of  phosphorus,  and  2  to  8  per  cent  of  silicia.  Some  of 
the  ore  shipped  contains  more  than  0.30  per  cent  of  phosphorus  and  a  very 
little  contains  0.40  to  0.50  per  cent  of  phosphorus.  Most  of  the  ferruginous 
manganese  ores  contain  20  to  40  per  cent  of  manganese,  8  to  20  per  cent  of 
iron,  and  5  to  26  per  cent  of  silica.  The  phosphorus  content  is  about  the 
same  as  that  of  the  higher  grade  ores. 

REFERENCES 

Branner;  John  C. — Annual  Report  of  the  Geol.  Surv.  of  Arkansas  for 
1890,  Vol.  I,  Manganese.  Its  uses,  ores  and  deposits,  by  R.  A.  F.  Penrose, 
Jr.  Includes  notes  on  the  paleontology  of  the  Batesville  region,  by  Henry  S. 
Williams. 

Miser,  H.  D. — Manganese  deposits  of  the  Gaddo  Gap  and  DeQueen  Quadran- 
gles, Arkansas,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Bulletin  660,  1917. 

Miser.  H.  D. — Deposits  of  Manganese  ore  in  Batesville  District,  Arkansas, 
Preliminary  Report,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Bulletin  715-G,  1920. 


Magnetite 

Magnetic  iron  ore.    In  crystalline  metamorphic  rocks;  in  a  local  deposit 
at  surface  and  in  soil  in  fragments;  magnetic;  abundant.     Magnet  Cove. 


Malachite 

Garland  County,  at  Hot  Springs,  in  ledge  of  rock  several  feet  in  thick- 
ness; not  mined. 


Marbles 

The  marble  region  of  Arkansas  is  in  the  north  and  northwest  part  of 
the  state.  It  includes  Marion,  Boone,  Benton,  and  parts  of  Independence, 
Izard,  Stone,  Baxter,  Searcy,  Newton,  Madison  and  Washington  counties,  and 
extends  north  into  the  State  of  Missouri.  The  entire  region  is  north  of  the 
Boston  Mountains,  and  with  the  exception  of  portions  of  Washington  and 
Benton  counties  is  in  the  upper  White  River  Valley.  It  is  commonly  known 
as  North  Arkansas,  the  Boston  Mountains  forming  a  natural  barrier  between 
it  and  the  remainder  of  the  state  on  the  south,  while  the  flood-plains  of  the 
Black  River  bound  it  on  the  east. 

The  marbles  of  Arkansas  all  belong  to  the  list  of  colored  marbles; 
although  some  of  them  are  very  light  colored,  all  are  more  or  less  stained 
with  metallic  oxides  or  with  carbonaceous  matter.  On  a  stratigraphic  basis 
all  the  numerous  varieties  of  marbles  in  Arkansas  are,  with  very  few  excep- 
tions, included  in  three  classes:  The  St.  Glair;  the  St.  Joe;  and  the  gray 
marble  of  the  Boone  chert  formation.  The  first  of  these,  the  St.  Glair 
marble,  occurs  over  the  eastern  and  south  central  part  of  the  area,  and  is  of 
Silurian  age.  The  St.  Joe  and  gray  marbles,  occurring  over  the  entire  area, 
are  at  the  base  of  the  Lower  Carboniferous  rocks.  The  few  varieties  which 
do  not  occur  in  any  of  these  classes  are  the  black,  yellow,  "onyx,"  and 
Archimedes  marbles. 

Marble  of  red,  gray  and  pink  colors  outcrop  at  numerous  places  along 
White  River  and  its  tributaries.  Black  marble  occurs  near  Marshall,  Searcy 
County,  and  Jamestown,  Independence  County. 

Comparatively  little  work  has  been  done  to  develop  the  marbles  and 
bring  them  into  the  market.  Probably  the  first  piece  of  marble  shipped  out 
of  the  state  was  the  one  sent  to  Washington  Monument  in  1836,  the 
year  in  which  the  state  was  admitted  to  the  Union.  The  block,  weighing 
9.000  pounds,  was  taken  from  near  Marble  City,  Newton  County,  then  known 
as  Beller's  Mill.  It  was  obtained  by  Mr.  Beller  and  Elijah,  Samuel  and 
William  Harp.  By  drilling  and  wedging  they  separated  the  block  from  a 
ledge  four  feet  thick.  It  was  then  put  on  a  log  wagon  and  with  ten  yoke 
of  cattle  these  four  men  took  the  stone  a  distance  of  60  miles  or  more  over 
exceedingly  rough  and  tortuous  roads  across  the  Boston  Mountains  to  the 
Arkansas  River  near  Clarksville,  whence  it  was  shipped  by  boat. 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS  .         69 

The  exterior  walls  of  the  new  State  Capitol  at  Little  Rock  were  con- 
structed of  Batesville  marble,  quarried  at  Pfeiffer. 

REFERENCES 

Brainier,  John  C. — Annual  Report  of  the  Geol.  Surv.  of  Arkansas  for  1890, 
Vol.  IV,  Marbles  and  other  limestones,  by  T.  C.  Hopkins,  Little  Rock,  1893. 

The  building1  stones  of  Arkansas,  by  John  C.  Branner.  Stone,  Vol.  II, 
Indianapolis,  October,  1889. 

Hopkins,  T.  C. — Topographic  features  of  Arkansas  marble.  Proceedings 
of  the  American  Association  for  the  Advancement  of  Science.  Vol.  XXXIX, 
Salem,  1891. 

Anonymous. — Batesville  oolitic  marble.  Stone,  Vol.  XXIX,  pp.  345-346. 
Illustrated,  New  York,  January,  1909. 


Melanite 

Lime-iron  Garnet,  black  variety  of  Andradite;  or  Aplome;  loose  crystals 
and  in  rock.    Magnet  Cove. 


Melanterite 

In  incrustations,  etc.,  rarely  pure;   Rabbit  Foot  mine,  Saline  County. 


Mellite 

(Honey  Stone). — As  incrustations  on  sandstones  or  coal  measures;   Scott 
-and  Franklin  counties. 


Mica 

Biotite. — Garland  County,  at  Potash  Sulphur  Springs  and  Magnet  Cove. 


Microcline 

Alkaline  alumina  silicate;  triclinic  potash-feldspar.  Greenish,  in  granitic 
rocks,  with  aegirites;  othoclase  or  albite,  sometimes  associated  with  it.  Mag- 
net Cove 


Newtonite 

Pure  white,  soft,  compact,  inflexible,  specific  gravity,  2.37,  Newton  County. 


Nitre 

(Saltpeter).    In  dry  caverns  in  limestone  regions  of  North  Arkansas. 


Novaculite  (Whetstones) 

The  Arkansas  stone  is  a  true  novaculite,  satisfying  all  the  necessary 
•  condition  regarding  homogeneity,  grittiness,  finely  granular  structure  and 
•siliceous  composition;  it  is  translucent  on  the  edges  and  has  a  marked  con- 
choidal  fracture.  It  occurs  associated  with  shales  into  which  it. grades 
through  opaque,  flinty  layers.  It  is  the  only  true  novaculite  quarried  in 
•quantity  in  this  country. 

Novaculite  is  very  like  chert,  both  in  composition  and  in  its  behavior 
as  a  road-making  material.  It  occurs  only  in  the  hilly  region  lying  south  of 
the  Coal  Measures,  where  it  forms  the  Zigzag  Mountains  about  Hot  Springs 
and  the  great  Ouachita  Mountain  system  south  of  the  Ouachita  River,  ex- 
tending from  Rockport,  Hot  Spring  County,  nearly  to  Oklahoma,  west  of 
Dallas,  Polk  County. 

REFERENCES 

Branner.  John  C. — Annual  Report  of  the  Geol.  Surv.  of  Arkansas  for  1890, 
Vol.  III.  Whetstones  and  the  novaculites  of  Arkansas,  by  L.  S.  Griswold, 
Little  Rock,  1892. 

Bfanner,  John  C.  and  Derby.  O.  A. — On  the  origin  of  certain  siliceous 
rocks  (novaculites).  Journal  of  Geology,  1898,  Vol.  VI. 

Griswold,  L..  S. — Indian  quarries  in  Arkansas.  Proceedings  Boston  So- 
ciety of  Natural  History,  Vol.  XXVI,  Boston,  1895. 

Hull,  Edward. — Origin  of  novaculites  of  Arkansas.  Quarterly  Journal  of 
the  Geological  Society  of  London,  Vol.  I,  London,  1894. 

Rutley,  Frank. — On  the  origin  of  certain  novaculites  and  quartzltes.  Quar. 
Jour.  Geol.  Soc.,  Vol.  I,  London,  1894.  Abstract  American  Geologist,  Vol.  XIV. 

Sutton,  J.  J. — Oilstones.  Third  Biennial  Report  from  the  Bureau  of  Mines, 
Manufactures  and  Agriculture  of  Arkansas  for  1893-1894. 


70 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 


Novaculite  in  Railroad  Cut,  Near  Glenwood. 


Ochre 

Ochre  of  a  deep  red  color  occurs  abundantly  near  Wittsburg  on  Crow- 
ley's  Ridge.  An  analysis  suggests  no  valuable  use  to  which  this  clay  could 
be  put.  It  is  used  locally  for  painting  barns. 

Deposits  of  yellow  ochre  occur  near  Monticello,  Drew  County,  and  Piggott, 
Clay  County. 

Brown  ochre,  or  limonite,  occurs  in  many  parts  of  the  state,  but  it  is 
usually  contaminated  with  clays.  *  *  *  Red  ochre,  Fourche  Mountain  and 
suburbs  of  Little  Rock,  usually  impure  from  admixture  with  silica  and  clay. 

REFERENCES 
Brnnner,  John  C— Annual  Report  Ark.  Geol.  Surv.,  Vol  II,  1889. 


Octahedrite 

Titanic  oxide.  Close  to  Rutile.  See  also  Brookite.  Occurs  sparingly 
with  Brookite,  Rutile  and  Arkansite,  also  as  imbedded  crystals  in  feldspathic 
or  garnet  base  Magnet  Cove. 


Oil  Shales. 

"Petroleum  occurs  in  small  quantities  in  the  Fayetteville  shale  of  Wash- 
ington County.  Everything  in  the  general  geology  of  this  section  points  to 
the  fact  that  the  sandstone  in  which  this  oil  occurs  is  cut  off  along  the  north 
face  of  the  Boston  Mountains  and  that  the  rocks  through  the  central  and 
northern  parts  of  the  county  all  lie  below  it.  The  rock  does  not  contain 
enough  oil  to  thoroughly  saturate  it." — Annual  Report  of  the  Arkansas 
Geological  Survey,  Vol.  IV,  1888. 

"Oil  may  perhaps  be  distilled  from  the  Chattanooga  shale  (of  northwest 
Arkansas)  which  is  sufficiently  bituminous  to  give  off  the  odor  of  petroleum 
when  struck  with  a  hammer,  but  such  distillation  will  be  profitable  only  after 
the  prices  of  petroleum  and  its  products  become  higher." — A.  H.  Purdue 
and  H.  D.  Miser. — Eureka  Springs-Harrison  Folio,  No-  202,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv. 
Among  the  shale  rocks  of  Northwestern  Arkansas,  H.  D.  Miser  of  the  U.  S. 
Geol.  Survey,  includes  the  Bloyd  shale. 

REFERENCES. 

Miser,  Hush  D.  and  Purdue,  A.  H. — Asphalt  Deposits  and  Oil  Conditions 
In  Southwestern  Arkansas.  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Bulletin  691— J,  1918. 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS  71 

Oligoclase 

Triclinic  soda-lime  feldspar.  With  orthoclase  in  metamorphic  (granitic) 
rocks.  Not  very  abundant,  apparently;  in  syenite,  more  or  less.  Magnet 
Cove. 


Onyx 

Argonite  or  Mexican  onyx  occurs  in  large  quantities  in  some  of  the  zinc 
mines  of  North  Arkansas.  Doctor  Branner  says:  "We  have  seen  beautiful 
pieces  of  this  rock  that  would  have  brought  high  prices  in  the  market  wan- 
tonly destroyed,  partly  because  the  owners  were  not  aware  of  its  value,  and 
partly  because  this  is  a  zinc  mine — not  a  stone  quarry." 

From  the  report  of  T.  C.  Hopkins  on  the  Marbles  of  Arkansas,  the  fol- 
lowing facts  are  taken: 

"None  of  the  onyx  marbles  of  Arkansas  are  quite  as  translucent  or  as 
brightly  banded  as  the  finest  qualities  of  Mexican  stone,  yet  much  of  it  is 
very  handsome,  works  easily,  takes  a  brilliant  polish  and  will  no  doubt 
command  a  good  price.  Further  research  may  show  even  finer  qualities." 

Slabs  containing  several  square  feet  of  ''Eureka  onyx"  have  been  re- 
covered  from   caves    near   Eureka    Springs    and    made   into    paperweights,     I  \    / 
clocks,  scarfpins,  penholders,  etc.    Large  quantities  of  stone  are  exposed  in  /     y 
a  cave  near  Dodd  City.    It  occurs  in  white,  cream,  red  and  yellowish  browjr 
colors.    Apparently  slabs  four  or  five  feet  square  or  even  larger  could  readily 
be  obtained.     It  is  a  beautiful  stone. 

REFERENCES 

Report  Arkansas  Geological  Survey,  Vol.  IV,  1890. 


Opal 

Silicia.     In  certain  ancient  hot  spring  deposits.     Magnet  Cove. 


Orthoclase 

,     Potash  feldspar.     Pulaski,  Saline  and  Hot  Spring  counties,  in  granitic 
and  allied  rocks. 


Ozarkite 

Hydrous  aluminum  silicate,  with  calcium  and  sodium;  massive  variety 
of  Thomsonite.  In  masses  like  beds  or  intrusions  of  uncertain  relations. 
Magnet  Cove. 


Paint  Minerals 

There  are  some  seams  or  pockets  of  a  very  good  quality  of  barytes  in 
many  places  in  Montgomery  County,  between  the  Broken  Rock  and  Blue 
Mountain  axes,  and  generally  speaking  along  the  whole  length  of  that  belt. 
Some  of  the  barytes  is  white  and  of  high  value.  Ground  shale  and  impure 
graphite  which  abound  in  Southwestern  Arkansas,  especially  in  Mont- 
gomery County,  are  useful  materials  as  fillers  for  paints.  Red  ochre  (hema- 
tite) and  "reddle,"  or  a  kind  of  red  chalks,  are  abundant  in  many  localities 
In  Southwestern  Arkansas.  Use  might  be  made  of  these  in  paint  manu- 
facture. The  yellow  and  brown  ochreous  earths  (limonite)  may  in  some 
cases  be  useful  for  similar  purposes.  The  quantity  of  such  ore,  particularly 
in  Pulaski  County,  south  and  west  of  Little  Rock,  is  enormous  and  easily 
mined. 


Pealite 

Silicia;  variety  of  Opal,  or  Fiorite.  In  crumbling  masses,  usually  with 
hard  nuclei;  constituent  of  old  hot  spring  throats;  sand  carbonate  mine. 
Magnet  Cove. 


72 


MINERALS    IN    ARKANSAS 


Map  of  Arkansas,  Illustrating  Relative  Chances  for  Oil  and  Gas — Drawn  by 

Dr.  N.  F.  Drake,  Geologist  for  the  State  Bureau  of  Mines,  and 

Former  State  Geologist. 


Petroleum    and    Natural    Gas 


By  N.  F.  DRAKE,  Former  State  Geologist  of  Arkansas. 


The  accompanying  map  presents  a  rough  outline  showing  different  areas 
into  which  the  State  may  be  divided  with  reference  to  different  degrees  of 
fitness  for  petroleum  and  natural  gas.  There  is  more  or  less  variation  within 
each  of  these  areas  and  usually  each  area,  in  its  geological  fortunes,  gradu- 
ates into  the  adjoining  areas  but  as  a  whole  each  area  as  mapped  forms  a 
distinct  group. 

Area  VI. — The  area  marked  "6"  and  by  vertical  lining  includes  the 
Ouachita  Mountain  system  in  which  the  rock  beds  are  severely  folded  into 
numerous  anticlinal  and  synclinial  folds  extending  almost  east  and  west 
the  whole  forming  an  upward  bent  fold  on  an  anticlinorium.  The  tops  of 
these  folds  have  been  eroded  so  that  now  the  numerous  parallel  ridges  stand 
at  almost  the  same  elevation.  This  means  that  the  center  of  the  anticlin- 
orium has  been  eroded  more  than  at  the  sides  so  that  now  we  have  ex- 
posed at  the  surface  along  the  central  portion  of  the  area  the  oldest  rock 
beds.  Going  either  northwards  or  southwards  from  the  central  oldest 
rocks  one  passes  over  successively  younger  rocks  as  he  approaches  the. 
border  of  this  area,  except  that  in  places  severe  folding  has  caused  the 
complete  overturning  of  some  of  the  beds.  In  age  the  rocks  of  this  area 
extend  from  the  Cambrian  at  the  base,  through  the  Ordovician,  Silurian, 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS  73 

Devonian  and  into  the  Carboniferous  at  the  top.  The  whole  gives  a  thick- 
ness of  15,000  to  20,000  feet  of  shales,  sandstones,  and  some  cherts  and 
limestones.  The  whole  area  is  rather  highly  metamorphosed  so  that  a 
large  part  of  the  shales  are  graphitic  and  often  the  sandstones  have  been 
changed  to  quartzites.  Much  of  the  original  pore  spaces  in  these  rocks 
have  been  filled  by  silica  and  lime  carbonate.  Igneous  rocks  in  small 
areas,  outcrop  at  a  number  of  places.  The  severe  metamorphism  of  the 
rocks  in  this  area  at  once  condemns'  it  as  a  field  for  oil  and  gas. 

Area  V. — The  area  marked  "5"  in  the  north  central  part  of  the  state  is 
a  part  of  the  Ozark  Plateau  and  its  exposed  rock  beds  are  mainly  Ordo- 
vician  dolomites  and  sandstones,  but  overlying  these  beds  in  regular  order 
are  Silurian,  Devonian  and  Mississippian  beds,  the  total  giving  somethng 
like  2,000  feet  of  outcropping  rock  beds  within  this  area.  Limestones, 
sandstone  and  some  carbonaceous  shale  are  found  in  the  upper  part  of 
these  beds.  The  rock  beds  are  broken  or  faulted  at  many  places  and 
show  some  gentle  folds  but  in  the  main  the  beds  lie  almost  horizontal  or 
dip  slightly  to  the  south.  While  metamorphic  action  in  this  area  has  not 
been  severe,  it  has  been  considerable  so  that  many  of  the  limestones  are 
more  or  less  crystaline.  In  quarrying  rocks  over  the  area  a  little  petroleum 
has  been  found  in  small  cavities  in  some  of  the  limestones  and  dolomites 
at  a  number  of  places.  This  has  led  some  people  to  suspect  that  oil  in  com- 
mercial quantities  might  be  found  there.  It  seems  very  doubtful  whether 
there  is  present,  at  sufficient  depth,  rock  beds  capable  of  giving  origin  to 
oil.  The  Chattanooga  shale  along  the  south  and  southwest  border  of  the 
area  is  too  near  the  surface  for  any  oil  it  might  have  produced  to  have 
been  retained  in  the  rocks.  The  deep  seated  beds  are  mainly  dolomites 
and  sandstones  Metamorphic  action  here  has  almost  assuredly  been  great 
enough  to  have  destroyed  oil  accumulations  even  had  they  at  one  time  ex- 
isted. Furthermore  test  wells  in  this  area  and  in  the  same  rock  beds 
nearby  in  Missouri  have  failed  to  give  encouragement  for  oil  and  gas. 

Area  IV. — The  area  marked  "4"  on  the  map  includes  the  south  and 
southwest  border  of  the  Ozark  Plateau.  Here  the  rock  beds  lie  almost 
horizontal,  but  in  general,  have  a  dip  of  one  to  two  degrees  to  the  south  and 
southwest.  At  places  this  dip  increases  to  five  or  six  degrees  or  even 
more.  Some  gentle  folding  and  faulting  occurs  over  the  area  and  heavy 
faulting  with  the  downthrow  on  the  south  side  of  the  fault  planes,  occurs 
along  the  south  border  of  the  area.  As  one  goes  northward  over  this  area 
he  reaches  successively  lower  and  older  rock  beds.  Along  the  north  bor- 
der of  the  area  the  outcropping  rocks  are  mainly  Mississippian  while  on 
the  south  border  they  are  Pennsylvanian.  Wells  drilled  300  to  500  feet 
deep  near  the  north  border,  or  500  to  2,000  feet  deep  near  the  south  border, 
would  pass  into  the  Silurian  or  Ordovician  limestones,  dolomitei  and  sand- 
stones. Over  those  beds  lies  the  Chattanooga  shale,  which  is  usually  25  to 
40  feet  thick.  It  is  highly  carbonaceous  and  is  oil  and  gas-producing.  About 
350  feet  of  chert  with  some  limestone  overlies  the  Chattanooga  shale.  The 
chert  in  turn  is  overlain  by  200  to  400  feet  of  highly  carbonaceous  shale,, 
the  Fayetteville  shale,  that  is  also  oil  and  gas-producing.  Oil  and  gas  with- 
in this  area  would  naturally  be  expected  to  have  been  derived  from  those 
shale  beds. 

We  have  then  in  this  area  beds  of  rock  favorable  for  the  production  of 
oil  and  gas,  porous  randstones  suitable  for  reservoir  rock  and  some  gentle 
folding  giving  inverted  basins  that  might  trap  the  oil  and  gas  in  their  up- 
ward migrations.  In  the  Northern  portion  of  the  area  the  covering  over 
the  oil-gas  producing  shales  is  not  sufficient  to  prevent  leakage,  but  in  the 
southern  portion  the  covering  should  be  ample. 

A  well  a  little  over  300  feet  deep  about  five  miles  northwest  of  Fay- 
etteville, has,  for  about  three  years,  furnished  enough  gas  fuel  for  cooking 
and  heating  at  a  farm  house.  This  gas  was  struck  in  sandstone  immedi- 
ately underlying  the  Chattanooga  shale.  Without  any  reasonable  doubt 
this  gas  came  from  the  shale.  The  covering  over  the  shale  is  nearly  300 
feet  of  Boone  chert  which  would  allow  gas  to  escape  to  the  surface  and 
be  lost  while  the  shale  itself  is  nearly  impervious  and  gas  collecting  under 
the  shale  would  be  retained. 


74 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 


A  number  of  other  wells  widely  distributed  over  this  area  have  given 
small  flows  of  natural  gas,  but  commercial  flows  have  not  yet  been  ob- 
tained. It  is  rather  difficult  to  estimate  the  degree  of  alteration  or  mate- 
morphism  that  exists  over  the  area-  The  following  coal  analysis  by  G.  O. 


MAP   OF    FORT    SMITH-POTEAU    GAS    FIELD,    ARKANSAS   ANC    OKLAHOMA. 

Burr,  of  the  University  of  Arkansas,  from  a  sample  of  coal  taken  from  the 
Baldwin  mine,  situated  about  seven  miles  east  of  Fayetteville,  probably 
gives  a  fair  average  for  the  condition  of  the  area  as  a  whole: 

Moisture    0.87% 

Volatile  Combustible  Matter  30.75% 

Fixed  Carbon  60.30% 

Ash   8.13% 

Sulphur    2.42% 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS 


75 


This  analysis  gives  a  carbon  ratio  for  the  coal  of  66.74%  which  shows 
too  high  a  carbon  ratio  for  commercial  pools  of  oil  but  still  permits  gas  pools 
of  value.  It  is  possible  that  some  local  places  within  this  area  may 
have  a  lower  alteration  of  the  rock  beds  and  in  that  case  oil  might  be 
found,  but  the  chances  are  against  the  existence  of  such  conditions.  The 
southern  portions  of  this  area  with  a  better  covering-  over  the  oil-gas  pro- 
ducing shales  offers  good  chances  for  commercial  gas  where  structural  con- 
ditions are  favorable. 

Area  III. — The  area  marked  "3"  and  by  horizontal  and  vertical  lining 
is  practically  all  of  the  area  between  the  Ozark  Plateau  and  the  Ouachita 
Mountain  system.  The  outcropping  rock  beds  here  belong  to  the  Pennsyl- 
vanian  series  and  consist  of  carbonaceous  clay  shales,  sandstones,  and  in 
the  western  part  some  workable  coal  beds.  These  beds  thicken  to  the 
southward,  probably  being  four  times  as  thick  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
area  as  in  the  northern  part.  According  to  Branner  the  Pennsylvanian 
sediments  of  the  state  reach  a  total  thickness  of  23,780  fleet.  The  strata 
of  this  area  are  folded  into  many  folds  and  the  whole  series  forms  a  down 
warp  or  synclinorium.  As  a  rule  the  folds  are  gentle  near  the  northern 
border  and  increase  in  intensity  southward  until  in  places  along  and  near 
the  south  border  some  of  the  beds  stand  almost  or  quite  vertical.  Meta- 
morphism  or  alteration  of  the  rock  beds  has  very  much  kept  pace  with  the 
intensity  of  folding.  As  a  rule  the  highest  alteration  of  the  rocks  is  to 
the  southward  and  southeastward,  but  near  the  heavy  faulting,  as  in  the 
southern  part  of  Scott  County,  the  metamorphism  may  be  somewhat  less. 
Coal  analyses  are  not  available  for  the  whole  field  but  the  following  analyses 
will  give  a  fair  idea  of  the  alteration  that  has  taken  place  and  the  way  it 
is  distributed: 


a 

t>> 

& 

T3 

Locality. 

B 

3  £ 

n  § 

*H 

P 
^ 

§ 

a> 

N 

cc 

£    4J 

a?  •& 

^ 

ft 

-g 

*c3 

0 

'O   c3 

X   £j 

CO 

53 

3 

a 

* 

MS 

fcO 

< 

O2 

o 

< 

Near  Bates,  Scott  Co  

3  39 

24.44 

66.40 

5.79 

0.87 

73 

U.  S.  G.  S. 

Near  Fort  Smith   

219 

14.00 

72.15 

11.66 

206 

84] 

u.  s.  a  s. 

Hackett    

0  85 

14.91 

73.86 

9.03 

83| 

Braokett 

Huntington 

1  0? 

17  88 

73  61 

7  49 

1  10 

SOlTT    S.   a     S. 

Coal    Hill 

1  52 

14.76 

76  91 

6.95 

1.52|     84  |U.  S.  G.  S. 

Spadra  

2.15 

10.82 

76.87 

10-16 

2.301      88  IU.  S.  G.  S. 

Near  Russellville  

2.33110.16177.67 

9.40|1.81|     88IU.  S.  G.  S. 

Many  other  analyses  covering  the  same  territory  might  be  given  but 
they  would  tell  the  same  story.  There  are  no  analyses  available  covering 
the  eastern  or  the  northern  borders  of  the  area  but  bituminous  coals  are 
known  to  be  in  those  localities,  and  they  may  show  a  less  degree  of  alter- 
ation. It  is  not  likely,  however,  that  they  will  prove  sufficiently  high  in 
volatile  matter  to  give  conditions  favorable  for  oil  in  commercial  quanti- 
ties. As  is  well  known,  this  area,  in  its  western  part,  is  already  a  heavy 
producer  of  gas.  It  is  likely  that  the  producing  areas  may  be  extended 
farther  eastward  along  the  northern  part  of  the  field  even  to  the  extreme 
east  border  of  this  area- 

Area  II. — The  area  marked  "2"  on  the  accompanying  map  is  a  part  of 
the  gulf  coastal  plains.  The  northern  part  of  the.  area  is  Cretaceous  and  the 
Southern  Tertiary  in  age.  The  Cretaceous  rock  beds  comprise  clays  and 
marls  more  or  less  carbonaceous  and  sandstone,  gravel  beds,  limestone,  and 
chalk,  altogether  totaling  over  2,000  feet  in  thickness  as  shown  by  out- 
crops. The  Tertiary  beds  are  about  1,000  feet  thick  and  consist  of  sands, 
clays  and  marls.  Both  the  Cretaceous  and  the  Tertiary  beds  dip  gently  to 
the  southeastward.  Both  carry  beds  containing  organic  matter  and  porous 


•76  MINERALS  IN  ARKANSAS 

sandstone  beds.  Metamorphic  action  has  not  altered  the  beds  to  a  degree 
that  would  destroy  oil  accumulations.  It  appears  then  that  the  thing  most 
needed  for  insuring  the  existence  of  oil  accumulations  here  is  good  struct- 
ural features  that  would  entrap  the  oil  in  its  upward  migrations. 

The  asphalt  deposits  in  Pike  and  in  Sevier  counties  show  oil  leakage 
along  the  northern  border  of  the  area.  This  oil  must  have  moved  north- 
wards up  the  slopes  of  the  Cretaceous  rock  beds.  So  far  as  known  there 
.are  no  folds  within  this  area  but  it  is  possible  that  there  may  be  some 
.  small  folds  and  furthermore  some  of  the  porous  beds  through  which  the  oil 
migrates  may,  in  their  upward  reaches,  either  thin  out  and  disappear  or 
else  become  close  textured  so  as  to  entrap  the  oil  as  it  moves  up  the  slope 
-of  the  rock  bed. 

These  last  noted  conditions  can  only  be  proven  by  the  very  expensive 
method  of  drilling  test  wells.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  oil-bearing  areas,  under 
such  conditions  as  exist  in  this  area,  must  necessarily  be  small  in  compari- 
son with  the  barren  areas.  The  wells  that  have  been  drilled  in  and  near 
this  area  have  indicated  a  regularity  of  the  dip  to  the  south  and  southeast 
and  have  given  no  special  encouragement  for  further  prospecting. 

Area  1. — The  area  marked  "1"  comprises  nearly  all  that  part  of  the 
state  lying  east  and  south  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad.  This  area  is 
also  a  part  of  the  gulf  coastal  p?ains.  The  outcropping  rocks  are  Tertiary 
and  Quaternary  in  age.  The  Quaternary  beds  form  a  thin  covering  of 
alluvial  materials  lying  on  the  Tertiary  beds,  along  the  flood  plains  of  the 
river  bottoms.  The  Tertiary  beds  consist  of  clays,  and  marls  more  or  less 
carbonaceous  and  sandstone  and  some  lignite  beds.  The  strata  dip  gently 
toward  the  southeast.  Going  eastward  over  the  area  one  passes  over 
beds  that  are  successively  higher  and  younger  geologically  and  the  series 
becomes  thicker  until  in  the  southeast  part  of  the  state  these  beds  are 
probably  2,000  feet  or  more  in  thickness.  Under  these  beds  the  Cretaceous 
fceds  above  noted  extend  apparently  without  any  breaks. 

During  Tertiary  times  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  extended  over  this  area  in 
an  embayment  that  reached  northward  to  the  southern  point  of  Illinois  and 
is  extended  to  the  east  of  the  Mississippi  River  into  Tennessee  and  Missis- 
sippi about  as  far  as  it  extends  westward  from  the  Mississippi  River  over 
Arkansas.  The  underlying  and  older  Cretaceous  embayment  was  somewhat 
broader,  but  did  not  extend  quite  so  far  northwards.  The  embayments  gave 
good  conditions  for  the  accumulation  of  organic  matter  of  the  sea  and 
neighboring  land  areas.  Over  this  area  also,  with  the  possible  exception 
of  a  part  of  Crowley's  Ridge,  the  rocks  have  not  been  altered  to  a  degree 
that  would  injure  oil  accumulations.  The  conditions  are  then  favorable 
for  oil  and  gas  wherever  structural  conditions  exist  to  catch  and  ho!d  the 
oil  and  gas. 

Since  the  Tertiary  rocks  are  practically  all  soft  and  friable  they  easily 
go  to  pieces  where  exposed  at  the  surface.  So  a  deep  soil  usually  covers 
the  underlying  beds  and  -one  cannot,  except  in  rare  cases,  determine  from 
surface  examinations  how  the  underlying  rock  beds  lie.  Where  the  top 
exposed  beds  lie  parallel  to  the  underlying  beds  and  the  top  beds  are  well 
exposed  it  is  a  simple  process  to  determine  the  underground  structure  so 
far  as  folding  is  concerned.  Over  this  area  the  rock  beds  are  usually  cov- 
ered and  often  not  well  marked  when  exposed  and  in  places  the  topmost 
and  the  lower  beds  are  not  parallel  or  conformable  so  it  is  difficult  to  de- 
termine the  structure  here. 

There  is  some  fairly  good  evidence  of  a  gentle  anticlinal  fold  extending 
northeast  by  southwest  through  the  central  part  of  Cleveland  County 
Should  this  prove  to  be  true  the  fold  may  be  expected  to  extend  farther  to 
the  northeast  and  southwest  beyond  Cleveland  County. 

While  the  area  marked  "1"  offers  the  bpst  chances  for  finding  oil  in 
the  State,  and  while  so  many  of  the  essential  conditions  for  oil  are  favor- 
able it  should  be  remembered  that  sediments  laid  down  along  a  shore  line 
retreating  seaward  with  a  slowly  subsiding  sea  bottom  and  a  rising  ad- 
joining land  area,  as  was  likely  the  case,  would  give  rise  to  beds  dipping 
regularly  and  not  to  folds  or  structural  features  favorable  to  entrapping 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS  77 

oil.     Favorable  structural  areas  may  therefore  be  expected  to  form  only  a 
small  part  of  the  total  area. 


What  the  Geologists  Say  About  Oil  and  Gas  Prospects  in 
Different  Counties  of  Arkansas 


Arkansas 

This  county  is  located  in  the  Coastal  Plain  region  in  which  the  pros- 
pects for  finding  large  quantities  of  oil,  particularly  if  good  anticlines  or 
domes  can  bo  located,  are,  perhaps,  better  than  in  other  portions  of  the 
State.  Prospect  wells  have  been  drilled  in  several  parts  of  the  county,  but 
no  production  has  been  reported.  The  geology  of  the  region  is  explained 
in  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.  Water  Supply  Paper  391,  Geology  and  Ground  Waters  of 
Northeastern  Arkansas. 

Ashley 

No  detailed  oil  and  gas  investigations  have  been  made  and  the  State 
has  no  information  concerning  the  discovery  in  that  area  of  any  commercial 
amounts  of  oil  or  gas.  It  would  be  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  detect 
from  an  examination  of  the  surface,  anticlines  or  domes  in  the  buried  for- 
mations, on  account  of  the  heavy  mantle  of  deposits  of  recent  geological  age. 
The  geology  of  the  region  is  explained  in  Bulletin  429,  1910.  "Oil  and  Gas 
in  Louisiana  and  Adjacent  States,"  and  in  Professional  Paper  46,  1906, 
published  by  the  IT.  S.  Geol.  Surv. 

Baxter 

It  is  the  general  opinion  that  the  region  of  Exposed  Paleozoric  rocks 
in  Arkansas,  which  embraces  Baxter  County,  offers  no  promise  for  the 
discovering  of  commercial  oil  pools  because  the  formations  have  been  too  far 
compressed  and  altered.  Small  deposits  of  natural  gas  have  been  found  and 
it  is  probable  that  additional  supplies  will  be  developed  at  points  of  favor- 
able anticlinal  or  domal  structure. 

Benton 

Detailed  descriptions  of  Benton  County  are  embodied  in  Geologic  Folios 
119,  154  and  202.  Any  commercial  amounts  of  oil  encountered  in  extreme 
Northwestern  Arkansas  will  probably  be  in  formations  of  greater  geologic 
age  than  those  yielding  oil  and  gas  in  Oklahoma  and  Kansas. 

In  a  description  of  the  Eureka  Springs  and  Harrison  quadrangles,  by 
A.  H.  Purdue  and  H.  D.  Miser,  published  by  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  the 
following  statement  is  made.  "Considerable  money  has  been  spent  in  North- 
ern Arkansas  in  drilling  wells  with  the  hope  of  finding  oil  or  gas,  but  neither 
has  yet  been  found  in  commercial  quantity  north  of  Crawford  and  Franklin 
counties.  Furthermore,  the  character  of  the  rocks  does  not  indicate  that 
either  oil  or  gas  will  be  found  in  commercial  quantity  in  the  quadrangles 
under  discussion  or  in  the  adjoining  parts  of  Northern  Arkansas  and  South- 
ern Missouri.  However,  any  wells  that  are  put  down  should  be  sunk 
on  the  domes.  Oil  may  perhaps  be  distilled  from  the  Chattanooga  shale." 

Boone 

This  county  is  located  in  the  Ozark  region,  where  the  formations  have 
been  too  far  altered  and  compressed  to  permit  the  survival  of  commercial 
oil  pools  even  if  oil  were  once  present.  Some  natural  gas  has  been  dis- 
covered in  Northwest  Arkansas  and  it  is  possible  that  additional  supplies 
will  be  developed  at  points  of  favorable  structure.  The  geology  of  this 
region  is  mapped  and  described  in  Geologic  Folio  119  and  202. 

Bradley 

The  general  geological  conditions  in  this  county  are  similar  to  those  in 
the  southcentral  portion  of  the  State,  where  oil  and  gas  wells  have  been 


78  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

developed.  Professional  Paper  46  discusses  the  geology  and  underground 
water  resources  of  this  section  and  a  study  of  the  Coastal  Plain  region, 
which  embraces  Bradley  County,  would  be  aided  by  reference  to  U.  S.  Geol. 
Surv.  Bulletin  429,  1910,  "Oil  and  Gas  in  Louisiana  and  Adjacent  States." 

Calhoun 

The  Coastal  Plain  region  of  Arkansas  embracing  the  eastern  and  south- 
ern parts  of  the  State  probably  offers  greater  promise  for  the  discovery  of 
commercial  quantities  of  oil  than  other  portions  of  Arkansas.  Professional 
Paper  46,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.  contains  descriptions  and  a  map  of  the  general 
geology  of  Northern  Louisiana  and  Southern  Arkansas.  Favorable  indica- 
tions have  induced  prospectors  to  drill  for  oil  at  different  places  in  the 
county,  but  up  to  this  time  there  has  been  no  production. 

Carroll 

This  county  has  been  geologically  mapped  and  described  in  detail  in 
Geological  Folio  202,  covering  the  Eureka  Springs  and  Harrison  quadrangles. 
The  oil  and  gas  possibilities  of  the  section  are  briefly  discussed.  In  the 
opinion  of  most  oil  and  gas  geologists  the  formations  in  this  region  have 
been  too  far  altered  to  offer  promise  for  the  discovery  of  commercial  pools 
of  oil,  though  natural  gas  may  be  found  at  points  of  favorable  structure.  It 
is  recommended  that  any  wells  that  may  be  put  down  should  be  sunk  on  the 
domes.  Oil  may  perhaps  be  distilled  from  the  Chattanooga  shale. 

Chicot 

No  detailed  investigations  have  been  made  of  the  geology  or  structure 
of  Chicot  County,  with  regard  to  oil  and  gas.  Information  concerning  the 
geology  of  this  county  may  be  obtained  from  Professional  Paper  46,  "Geol- 
ogy and  Underground  Water  Resources  of  Northern  Louisiana  and  Southern 
Arkansas,"  published  by  the  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.  Chicot  County  is  located  in 
the  Coastal  Plain  region  in  which  the  prospects  for  finding  commercial 
amounts  of  oil  are  probably  better  than  in  other  parts  of  the  State,  but  there 
has  been  made  no  detailed  examinations  of  the  geologic  structure  in  that  area 
with  a  view  to  determining  the  oil  and  gas  possibilitis.  In  fact  that 
part  of  Arkansas  is  so  covered  by. deposits  of  recent  geologic  age  that  an 
investigation  of  the  surface  does  not  make  possible  the  detection  of  anticlines 
or  domes  favorable  to  the  accumulation  of  oil  and  gas  in  the  buried  forma- 
tion in  which  oil,  if  present,  would  be  found.  The  geological  conditions  in 
Chicot  County  are  similar  to  those  in  Southcentral  Arkansas  where  both 
oil  and  gas  have  been  found. 

Clark 

The  geology  of  Clark  County  is  as  varied  as  is  its  topography.  As  will 
be  seen  by  the  Drake  Map,  a  part  of  this  county  is  included  in  the  most  fa- 
vorable and  a  part  in  the  most  unfavorable  area  for  the  finding  of  oil  and 
gas  in  the  State.  There  is  a  persistent  belief  that  these  minerals  are  pres- 
ent and  there  has  recently  been  active  prospecting  in  the  vicinity  of  Arkadel- 
phia,  Gurdon  and  Whelen  Springs. 

In  the  United  States  Geological  Survey  Bulletin  No.  429,  G.  D.  Harris 
has  the  following  to  say  under  the  heading,  "Oil  and  Gas  in  Louisiana,  with 
a  Brief  Summary  of  their  Occurrence  in  Adjacent  States." 

"As  oil  and  gas  occur  in  Southern  Louisiana  and  Southeastern  Texas  in 
commercial  quantities  in  the  vicinity  of  Saline  domes,  a  few  hundred  acres 
in  extent,  most  of  such  localities  being  separated  by  barren  regions  scores 
of  miles  wide,  it  is  highly  important  for  future  development  that  the  manner 
of  occurrence  of  these  salines  should  be  carefully  studied,  so  that  probably 
productive  territory  may  be  separated  from  territory  in  which  the  discovery 
of  oil  or  gas  is  unlikely.  *  *  *  In  the  opinion  of  the  writer,  all  the  saline 
domes  are  located  along  lines  of  fracture  in  the  deep-lying  Mesozoic,  and 
Palezoic  rocks,  and  in  general  their  location  seems  to  be  at  the  crossing 
of  such  lines.  *  *  *  The  large  amounts  of  gas  and  oil  found  in  the 
Caddo  field,  Louisiana,  appear  to  be  simply  following  east  and  north 
slopes  of  a  great  uplift,  and  concentrating  or  reconcentrating  along  slight 
anticlinal  ridges.  *  *  *  Hopes  may  be  entertained  of  finding  oil  and  gas  so 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  79 

entrapped  in  wells  sunk  in  various  places  near  the  Eocene-Cretaceous  con- 
tact from  Arkadelphia  and  to  beyond  San  Antonio,  Texas." 

Clay 

The  area  east  of  Crowley's  Ridge  in  Arkansas,  in  fact  almost  all  of  Clay 
County  lies  in  the  Coastal  Plain  region  in  which  the  chances  for  finding 
commercial  pools  of  oil  at  points  of  favorable  anticlinal  or  domal  structure 
are  better  than  in  other  parts  of  the  State.  There  has  been  considerable 
prospecting  lately  but  up  to  this  time  no  production  of  either  oil  or  gas  is 
reported.  The  geology  of  this  section  is  explained  in  Water  Supply  Paper 
399,  U.  S.  Geological  Survey. 

Cleburne 

As  this  county  lies  in  the  area  of  exposed  paleozoic  rocks  it  is  the 
opinion  of  geologists  that  the  formations  have  been  too  far  altered  to  offer 
promise  for  the  discovery  of  large  amounts  of  oil,  though  natural  gas  may 
be  present  at  points  of  favorable  structure.  The  geology  of  this  section 
is  explained  and  mapped  in  Geologic  Folio  202. 

Cleveland 

This  county  is  situated  in  the  Coastal  Plain  region  where  conditions 
are  regarded  as  being  more  favorable  for  the  finding  of  oil  and  gas  than 
elsewhere  in  the  State.  Dr.  John  C.  Branner  and  Dr.  N.  F.  Drake,  both 
former  State  geologists,  have  made  locations  for  prospect  wells  in  this 
county.  Three  wells  are  now  being  drilled,  two  on  these  locations  near 
Rison  and  a  third  near  New  Edinburg.  There  is  some  fairly  good  evidence  of  a 
gentle  anticlinal  fold  extending  northeast  by  southwest  through  the  central 
part  of  Cleveland  County.  Dr.  Drake  says:  "A  test  well  might  prove  suc- 
cessful at  most  any  depth  between  1000  and  4000  feet  or  even  a  greater 
depth.  All  things  considered  this  area  appeals  to  me  to  offer  a  fair  chance 
for  success  and  one  that  is  well  worth  the  taking." 

Columbia 

This  county  lies  adjacent  to  Union  County  in  which  is  located  the  new 
El  Dorado  oil  and  gas  field  and  it  is  situated  immediately  north  of  the 
Homer  and  Haynesville  fields  in  Louisiana,  in  the  Coastal-  Plains  region 
where  conditions  are  more  favorable  for  the  finding  of  oil  and  gas  than  any 
other  part  of  Arkansas.  Several  deep  wells  have  been  drilled  in  Columbia 
County.  The  geology  of  the  section  is  explained  and  mapped  in  Professional 
Paper  46,  published  by  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  and  in  a  press  bulletin 
issued  by  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  on  the  Eldorado  field.  Showings  of 
oil  were  encountered  in  the  Trinity  well,  Sec.  26,  T.  18  S.,  R.  18  W.,  and 
in  a  well  just  west  of  Stephens. 

Conway 

From  what  is  known  concerning  the  geology  of  Conway  County  it 
may  b.e  said  that,  while  natural  gas  may  be  found  in  paying  quantities  at 
points  of  favorable  anticlinal  or  doma]  structure,  it  is  probable  that  the 
formations  have  been  too  much  altered  and  compressed  in  that  part  of  the 
State  to  offer  promise  for  the  discovery  of  commercial  amounts  of  petroleum. 

The  late  Dr.  A.  H.  Purdue,  former  State  geologist,,  expressed  the  belief 
that  indications  were  favorable  for  the  extension  of  the  gas  field  through 
the  Arkansas  Valley  as  far  east  as  Little  Rock  and  recommended  the  drilling 
of  wells,  wherever  anticlines  occurred  in  that  territory. 

Craighead 

The  general  geology  of  Northeastern  Arkansas  has  been  mapped  and 
described  in  Water  Supply  Paper  399.  There  has  been  no  detailed  examin- 
ation of  the  geological  and  structural  conditions  with  special  regard  to  oil 
and  gas,  and  no  commercial  amounts  of  oil  and  gas  have  yet  been  found  in 
this  area.  Craighead  County  is  located  in  the  Coastal  Plain  region  in 
which  the  prospects  for  finding  large  quantities  of  oil,  at  points  of  favorable 
anticlinal  or  domal  structure,  are  probably  better  than  in  other  portions 
of  the  State. 


80  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

Crawford 

Much  of  Crawford  County  and  a  part  of  Franklin  County  are  embraced 
in  Geologic  Folio  154  of  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey.  Bulletin  541  contains 
a  short  report  on  the  Fort  Smith-Poteau  gas  fields,  lying  partly  in  this 
region.  There  are  numerous  producing  gas  wells  in  the  Arkansas  River 
Valley  in  the  southern  part  of  Crawford  County.  This  county  lies  in  the 
region  of  exposed  paleozoric  rocks,  which  is  not  regarded  by  oil  and  gas 
geologists  in  general  as  favorable  for  the  occurrence  of  large  amounts  of 
oil  on  account  of  the  advanced  stage  of  alteration  of  this  formation.  An 
explanation  of  the  failure  to  find  oil  in  the  Western  Arkansas  gas  field  is 
offered  by  Dr.  David  White  who  estimates  that  where  the  fixed  carbon 
content  of  the  coal  is  65%  the  oils  which  may  formerly  have  been  present 
in  the  same  or  underlying  formations  have  mostly  disappeared  and  that 
where  coal  shows  a  carbon  ratio  of  70%  oil  will  not  be  found  in  commercial 
quantities  though  gas  pools  may  be  present. 

Crittenden 

This  county  lies  in  the  Coastal  Plain  region  where  the  prospects  are 
most  favorable  for  the  presence  of  oil  and  gas  but  the  county  is  covered  by 
deposits  of  recent  geologic  age;  thus  it  is  difficult  to  detect  indications 
favorable  for  the  accumulation  of  these  minerals  in  the  buried  formation. 
The  general  geology  of  this  section  is  mapped  in  Water  Supply  Paper  399, 
"Geology  and  Ground  Waters  of  Northeastern  Arkansas." 

Cross 

If  favorable  anticlines  or  domes  can  be  located  either  on  Crowley's 
Ridge,  or  in  the  valleys  on  the  east  and  west  sides  of  the  ridge,  it  is  probable- 
that  oil  deposits  will  be  found  in  Cross  County  as  it  is  a  part  of  the  Coastal 
Region  in  which  the  prospects  for  discovery  of  commercial  oil  pools  are 
probably  better  than  in  other  parts  of  the  State.  It  is  difficult  to  detect  in- 
dications favorable  for  the  accumulation  of  oil  and  gas  for  the  reason  that 
especially  in  the  valley  sections  the  region  is  covered  by  deposits  of  recent 
geologic  age.  The  general  geolo-gy  of  this  section  is  mapped  in  Water 
Supply  Paper  399,  "Geology  and  Ground  Waters  of  Northeastern  Arkansas."" 

Dallas 

Favorable  indications  have  induced  the  drilling  of  deep  wells  at  Fordyce 
and  other  points  in  Dallas  County  but  so  far  without  discovering  either  oil 
or  gas  in  commercial  amounts.  Thirf  county  is  in  the  heart  of  the  Coastal 
Plain  region,  which  geologists  think  offers  greater  promise  for  the  dis- 
covery of  oil  than  other  portions  of  the  State.  The  geology  of  this  section 
is  explained  in  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  Professional  Paper  46,  "Geology  and 
Underground  Water  Resources  of  Northern  Louisiana  and  Southern 
Arkansas." 

Desha 

The  counties  bordering  on  the  Arkansas  River  in  the  eastern  part  of 
the  State  have  not  been  examined  in  detail  with  regard  to  oil  and  gas  pos- 
sibilities, but  they  are  included  in  the  Coastal  Plain  region  of  Arkansas  in 
which  the  prospects  for  finding  commercial  quantities  of  oil  at  points  of 
favorable  structure  are  probably  better  than  in  other  parts  of  the  State. 
U.  S.  Geological  Survey  Paper  46  describes  the  geology  and  underground 
resources  of  'Southern  Arkansas. 

Drew 

No  detailed  oil  and  gas  investigations  have  been  made  and  the  State 
has  no  information  concerning  the  discovery  in  that  area  of  any  commercial 
amounts  of  oil  and  gas.  Drew  county  lies  in  the  Coastal  Plain  region  of 
Arkansas,  in  which  the  prospects  for  finding  commercial  amounts  of  oil, 
If  favorable  anticlines  or  domes  can  be  located,  are  probably  better  than  in 
other  parts  of  the  State.  The  general  geology  of  Drew  County  is  mapped" 
and  described  in  Professional  Paper  46,  "The  Geology  and  Underground 
Water  Resources  of  Northern  Louisiana  and  Southern  Arkansas."  It  would 
be  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  detect,  from  an  examination  of  the  surface,. 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  81 

anticlines  or  domes  in  the  buried  formations,  on  account  of  the  heavy 
mantle  of  deposits  of  recent  geologic  age.  Several  deep  wells  are  being 
drilled  on  the  Monticello  Ridge  near  the  city  of  Monticello. 

Faulkner 

This  county  lies  in  the  area  of  exposed  paleozoic  rocks  where,  it  is 
believed,  the  formations  have  been  too  far  altered  and  compressed  to  be 
favorable  for  the  occurrence  of  commercial  oil  pools,  though  natural  gas 
may  be  present  at  points  of  favorable  anticlinal  or  domal  structure.  No 
report  has  been  published  dealing  with  oil  and  gas  conditions  in  this  region. 
The  formations  outcropping  in  this  part  of  the  Ozarks  are  of  greater  geologic 
age  than  those  in  which  oil  and  gas  have  been  found  in  commercial  quan- 
tities in  this  country,  especially  in  the  Mid-Continent  fields.  The  late  Dr. 
A.  H.  Purdue,  former  State  geologist,  expressed  the  belief  that  indications 
were  favorable  for  the  extension  of  the  gas  field  through  the  Arkansas  Valley 
as  far  east  as  Little  Rock  and  recommended  the  drilling  of  wells  wherever 
anticlines  occurred  in  that  territory. 

Franklin 

A  small  part  of  Franklin  County  is  embraced  in  Geologic  Polio  154,  pub- 
lished by  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey.  Although  there  is  a  production  of 
natural  gas  in  the  adjoining  county  of  Crawford  and  a  showing  of  oil  has 
been  reported  as  being  found  in  shallow  wells  at  Ozark,  there  has  been  no 
commercial  production.  This  part  of  the  State  lies  in  the  region  of  exposed 
paleozoic  rocks  and  is  not  regarded  by  oil  and  gas  geologists  in  general  as 
favorable  for  the  occurrences  of  large  amounts  of  oil  on  account  of  the  ad- 
vanced stage  of  alteration  of  the  formations.  Deep  wells  have  been  drilled 
in  different  parts  of  the  county,  so  far,  without  results.  One  of  these  tests 
was  in  a  well  located  anticline  where  there  was  thought  to  be  possibilities 
of  oil  in  the  lower  part  of  the  Pennsylvania  formation.  There  is  also  a 
favorable  anticline  at  Jethro  in  the  northern  part  of  the  county. 

Fulton 

This  county  lies  in  the  area  of  exposed  paleozoic  rocks,  where,  in  the 
opinion  of  most  oil  and  gas  geologists,  the  formations  have  been  too  much 
altered  to  offer  promise  for  the  discovery  of  commercial  amounts  of  oil. 

Garland 

This  region  is  treated  geologically  in  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  Bulletin 
691- J,  "Asphalt  Deposits  and  Oil  Conditions  in  Southwestern  Arkansas." 
Garland  County  is  in  the  area  of  exposed  paleozoic  rocks  in  which,  in  the 
opinion  of  most  oil  and  gas  geologists,  the  formations  have  been  too  far 
altered  to  offer  promise  for  the  discovery  of  commercial  pools  of  oil.  There 
has  been  no  detailed  examination  of  the  geology  or  structure  with  regard  to 
oil  and  gas  possibilities.  There  is  no  possibility  that  either  oil  in  com- 
mercial quantities  or  gas  in  large  pools  will  be  found  in  the  Ouachita  Moun- 
tain region  of  west-central  Arkansas.  The  Carboniferous  and  older  rocks 
have  been  so  highly  tilted  and  so  much  fractured  and  metamorphosed  that  if 
oil  or  gas  were  ever  present  in  them  the  gas  and  much  of  the  oil  would 
have  made  their  escape  to  the  surface  and  the  remainder  of  the  oil  would 
have  been  distilled  to  asphalt. 

Grant 

This  county  lies  within  the  Coastal  Plain  region  where  conditions  are 
more  favorable  than  elsewhere  in  the  State  for  the  accumulation  of  oil  and 
natural  gas  and  there  is  encouragement  for  prospecting  where  anticlines  and 
domes  can  be  located.  The  geology  of  this  section  is  explained  in  Water 
Supply  Paper  46,  published  by  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey.  There  has  been 
no  detailed  survey  for  oil  and  gas  and  no  commercial  production  of  either 
mineral  has  been  reported  though  several  deep  wells  are  now  being 
drilled  in  the  county. 

Greene 

The  general  geology  of  Northeastern  Arkansas  has  been  mapped  and 
described  in  Water  Supply  Paper  399.  There  has  been  no  detailed  examin- 


82  MINERALS    IN    ARKANSAS 

ation  of  the  geological  and  structural  conditions  with  special  regard  to  oil 
and  gas  and  no  commercial  amounts  of  oil  and  gas  have  yet  been  found  in 
this  area.  Greene  County  is  located  in  the  Coastal  Plain  region  in  which  the 
prospects  for  finding  large  quantities  of  oil  at  points  of  favorable  anticlinal 
or  domal  structure,  are  probably  better  than  in  other  portions  of  the  State. 

Hempstead 

This  county  lies  in  the  Coastal  Plain  region  where  the  prospects  for  the 
discovery  of  commercial  amounts  of  oil,  especially  if  anticlines  or  domes 
can  be  located  there,  are  probably  better  than  in  other  parts  of  the  State. 
A  small  map  showing  the  geology  of  Hempstead  County  is  included  in 
Bulletin  691- J,  "Asphalt  Deposits  and  Oil  Conditions  in  Southwestern  Arkan- 
sas," published  by  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey.  Several  deep  wells  have 
lately  been  drilled  into  what  is  regarded  as  favorable  structure  in  the 
vicinity  of  Hope  but  there  has  as  yet  been  no  commercial  production  of 
either  gas  or  oil. 

Hot  Spring 

The  general  geology  of  Hot  Spring  County  has  been  described  and 
mapped  in  Professional  Paper  46,  "Geology  and  Underground  Water  Re- 
sources of  Northern  Louisiana  and  Southern  Arkansas."  This  county  lies 
partly  in  the  Coastal  Plain  region  and  partly  in  the  area  of  exposed  paleo- 
zoic rocks,  the  first  being  regarded  as  favorable  and  the  second  unfavorable 
for  the  accumulation  of  oil  and  gas.  A  deep  well  was  drilled  near  Gifford 
but  did  not  encounter  either  mineral. 

Howard 

The  southern  part  of  Howard  County  lies  in  the  Coastal  Plain  region 
and  if  local  anticlines  or  domes  could  be  located,  ft  is  possible  that  com- 
mercial quantities  of  oil  may  be  found  there.  Bulletin  691-J,  published  by 
the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  deals  with  the  asphalt  deposits  and  oil  possi- 
bilities of  this  section.  The  Cretaceous  rocks  in  Southwestern  Arkansas 
have  a  southward  dip  of  about  100  feet  to  the  mile  and,  although  they 
have  been  slightly  warped,  no  pronounced  anticlines  or  synclines  occur  in 
Pike,  Howard  and  Sevier  counties.  Thus  if  petroleum  occurs  in  the  region 
south  of  the  asphalt  deposits,  its  accumulation  into  quantities  of  possible 
commercial  importance  would  probably  be  controlled  by  terrace  structure, 
lanticular  character  of  sands  or  irregularities  in  the  Cretaceous  floor. 

Independence 

Small  amounts  of  natural  gas  have  been  encountered  in  wells  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  Batesville  and  it  is  regarded  as  probable  that  favorable  structure 
embracing  Upper  Mississippian  formations  may  give  gas  in  commercial 
amounts  especially  on  the  south  side  of  White  River.  The  formations  in 
this  part  of  Arkansas,  it  is  believed,  have  been  too  far  altered  to  be  favor- 
able for  the  occurrence  of  large  quantities  of  oil.  Geological  conditions 
north  and  northwest  of  Batesville  are  described  in  Bulletin  715-G,  U.  S. 
Geological  Survey.  An  examination  in  the  vicinity  of  Batesville  was  made 
by  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  several  years  ago  but  no  report  was  pub- 
lished for  the  reason  that  the  conditions  were  not  encouraging  from  the 
standpoint  of  oil  prospects,  although  hardly  discouraging  with  reference  to 
possible  development  of  natural  gas  in  small  supplies.  It  is  the  opinion 
that  the  alterations  of  the  rocks  in  the  Batesville  district  has  probably  pro- 
gressed too  far  to  offer  promise  for  the  discovery  of  commercial  oil  pools, 
though  natural  gas  may  be  present  in  paying  quantities  at  points  of  favorable 
structure — folds  or  anticlines. 

Izard 

It  is  the  opinion  of  geologists  that  the  region  of  exposed  paleozoic  rocks 
in  Arkansas,  which  embraces  Izard  County,  offers  no  promise  for  the  dis- 
covery of  commercial  oil  pools  because  the  formations  have  been  too  far 
compressed  or  altered.  'Small  deposits  of  natural  gas  have  been  found  and 
it  is  probable  that  additional  supplies  will  be  developed  at  points  of  favor- 
able anticlinal  or  domal  structure. 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  83 

Jackson 

Newport,  the  seat  of  Jackson  County,  is  located  on  the  border  of  the 
Coastal  Plain.  To  the  eastward  the  conditions  are  favorable  for  the  dis- 
covery of  oil.  To  the  westward  there  are  indications  of  natural  gas,  but 
not  of  oil  in  commercial  amounts  although  oil  seepages  have  been  en- 
countered. The  geology  of  the  region  is  explained  in  U.  S.  Geological  Sur- 
vey Water  Supply  Paper  399  and  the  report  of  a  special  survey  of  the 
Batesville  district,  known  as  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  Bulletin  716,  will 
prove  of  special  interest  in  a  study  of  the  oil  and  gas  geology  of  Jackson 
County. 

Jefferson 

No  survey  for  oil  and  gas  has  been  made  of  Jefferson  County.  This 
being  a  part  of  the  Coastal  Plain  region  it  is  believed  that  the  presence 
of  oil  and  gas  may  be  expected  where  the  structure  is  favorable.  The  gen- 
eral geology  of  this  section  is  described  in  Professional  Paper  46,  published 
by  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey.  Also  in  Water  Supply  Paper  399.  Consid- 
erable drilling  has  been  done  in  Jefferson  County.  In  a  well  sunk  several 
years  ago  at  Faith,  in  T.  75,  R.  10  W.  it  is  reported  that  a  showing  of  oil 
was  encountered  at  a  depth  of  2231  feet,  but  the  test  was  abandoned  at  a 
depth  of  2541  feet.  On  account  of  the  covering  of  deposits  of  a  recent 
geologic  age,  the  detection  of  local  anticlines  or  domes,  favorable  for  the 
accumulation  of  oil  or  gas,  in  the  buried  formations,  is  difficult  if  not  im- 
possible from  an  investigation  of  surface  criteria. 

Johnson 

Johnson  County  lies  in  the  area  of  exposed  paleozoic  rocks  in  which, 
in  the  opinion  of  geologists,  the  formations  have  been  too  far  altered  and 
compressed  to  offer  promise  for  the  discovery  of  commercial  amounts  of 
oil,  though  natural  gas  has  been  found  in  this  region  and  additional  supplies 
will  probably  be  developed  at  points  of  favorable  anticlinal  or  domal 
structure.  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  Bulletins  326  and  427  deal  with  the 
geology  of  this  region.  Gas  was  reported  to  have  been  found  at  2260  feet 
on  the  J.  W.  Pierson  farm,  five  miles  northwest  of  Clarksville  (22-10-24),  in 
November,  1921. 

Lafayette 

Geological  conditions  especially  favor  Lafayette  County  in  the  matter 
of  oil  and  gas  development,  it  being  situated  contiguous  to  both  the  El 
Dorado  field  in  Arkansas  and  the  Caddo  field  in  Louisiana  and  is  embraced 
in  the  Coastal  Plain  region  where  geologists  concede  the  best  chances  exist 
for  finding  oil  and  gas  in  Arkansas.  Several  wells  have  been  drilled  but 
so  far  there  has  been  no  production  in  this  county.  The  geology  of 
Lafayette  Countly  is  explained  in  Professional  Paper  46,  published  by  the 
U.  S.  Geological  Survey  and  in  Bulletin  691-J,  "Asphalt  Deposits  and  Oil 
Conditions  in  Southwestern  Arkansas,"  also  published  by  the  Survey,  there 
is  a  good  deal  of  information  about  conditions  generally  in  Southwest 
Arkansas. 

Lawrence 

The  general  geology  of  this  part  of  Arkansas  has  been  mapped  and 
described  in  Water  Supply  Paper  399.  There  has  been  no  special  survey 
for  oil  and  gas.  The  eastern  part  of  Lawrence  County  is  located  in  the 
Coastal  Plain  region  in  which  the  prospects  for  finding  large  quantities  of 
oil  at  points  of  favorable  anticlinal  or  domal  structure,  are  probably  better 
than  in  other  portions  of  the  State.  Western  Lawrence  County  is  in  the 
area  of  exposed  paleozoic  rocks  in  which,  in  the  opinion  of  most  oil  and 
gas  geologists,  the  formations  have  been  too  much  altered  to  offer  promise 
for  the  discovery  of  large  amounts  of  oil,  though  natural  gas  may  be  present 
where  the  structure  is  favorable. 

Lee 

Owing  to  the  heavy  deposits  of  a  recent  geologic  age  it  is  aiincuic 
from  a  study  of  the  surface  conditions  to  detect  favorable  locations,  in  Lee 


84  MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS 

County,  for  the  accumulation  in  the  buried  structure,  of  oil  and  gas  in  com- 
mercial amounts.  The  whole  county  lies  in  the  Coastal  Plain  region  where 
conditions  are  regarded  as  more  encouraging  than  in  other  parts  of  the 
State.  The  geology  of  this  district  is  explained  and  mapped  in  U.  S. 
Geological  Survey  Water  Supply  Paper  399,  "Underground  Waters  of  North- 
eastern Arkansas. 

Lincoln 

This  section  has  not  been  examined  in  detail  with  regard  to  oil  and 
gas  but  it  lies  in  the  Coastal  Plain  region  in  which  the  prospects  for  finding 
commercial  quantities  of  oil  at  points  of  favorable  structure  are  probably 
better  than  in  other  parts  of  the  State.  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  Paper  4fi 
describes  the  geology  and  underground  resources  of  Southern  Arkansas 

Little  River 

Since  the  geological  and  strategraphic  conditions  in  Little!  River 
County  are  similar  to  those  in  the  producing  oil  and  gas  fields  of  North- 
western Louisiana  (and  Southern  Arkansas)  it  seems  probable  that  com- 
mercial amounts  of  oil  and  gas  will  be  found  in  the  county  if  favorable 
anticlines  or  domes  can  be  located.  However,  no  detailed  examinations  have 
been  made  to  determine  the  local  structural  conditions  and,  in  fact,  any 
such  determination  would  be  difficult  if  not  impossible,  on  account  of  the 
covering  of  deposits  of  recent  geologic  age  which  conceals  the  structure 
of  the  underlying  formations.  The  general  geologic  features  of  Little  River 
County  are  shown  in  a  map  included  in  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  Bulletin 
691-J,  "Asphalt  Deposits  and  Oil  Conditions  in  Southwestern  Arkansas  " 

Logan 

Some  information  concerning  the  geology  and  broad  structure  of  Logan 
County  is  given  in  Bulletin  326,  a  report  on  the  Arkansas  coal  field.  Logan 
County  is  embraced  in  the  coal  field  area  of  Arkansas,  in  which  in  the  opinion 
of  most  oil  and  gas  geologists  the  formations  have  been  too  far  altered  and 
compressed  to  be  favorable  for  the  occurrence  of  oil  in  commercial  amounts, 
though  natural  gas  has  been  found  and  it  is  probable  that  additional  supplies 
will  be  developed  at  points  of  favorable  anticlinal  or  domal  structure.  Deep 
wells  have  recently  been  drilled  near  Booneville  and  Magazine  but  no 
production  of  oil  has  been  reported. 

Lonoke 

The  geology  of  this  part  of  Arkansas  is  discussed  quite  fully  in  Water 
Supply  Paper  399.  There  has  been  no  detailed  investigations  to  determine 
the  oil  and  gas  prospects.  Lonoke  County  is  located  in  the  Coastal  Plain 
region  in  which  the  prospects  for  the  discovery  of  commercial  quantities  of 
oil,  at  points  of  favorable  anticlinal  or  domal  structure,  are  probably  better 
than  in  other  parts  of  the  State.  Dr.  John  C.  Branner,  former  State  geologist, 
made  the  location  for  a  prospect  oil  well  which  at  this  writing  is  being 
drilled  in  the  vicinity  of  England. 

Madison 

Detailed  descriptions  of  the  northern  half  of  Madison  County  are  em- 
bodied in  Geologic  Folios  119,  154  and  202.  Any  commercial  amounts  of  oil 
encountered  in  extreme  Northwestern  Arkansas  will  probably  be  in  forma- 
tions of  greater  geologic  age  than  those  yielding  oil  and  gas  in  Oklahoma  and 
Kansas.  In  the  opinions  of  most  oil  and  gas  geologists  the  formations  in 
this  region  have  been  too  far  altered  to  offer  promise  for  the  discovery 
of  commercial  pools  of  oil,  though  natural  gas  may  be  found  at  points  of 
favorable  structure. 

Marion 

The  formations  in  this  section  have  been  too  far  altered  and  com- 
pressed to  permit  the  survival  of  commercial  oil  pools,  even  if  oil  once 
were  present.  Some  natural  gas  has  been  discovered  in  Northwest  Arkansas 
and  it  is  possible  that  additional  supplies  will  be  developed  at  points  of  fav- 
orable structure.  The  geology  of  this  region  is  mapped  and  described  in 
Geologic  Folios  119  and  202. 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  85 

Miller 

The  geology  of  Southwestern  Arkansas  is  discussed  in  U.  S.  Geological 
Survey  Bulletins  661-C,  690-B  and  691-J.  The  first  bulletin  contains  some  in- 
formation regarding  the  Sabine  Uplift  including  a  map  showing  its  location 
and  partial  extent.  It  also  describes  the  Trinity  sand  and  strata  of  Eocene 
age.  Bulletin  691-J  discusses  the  asphalt  deposits  and  oil  conditions  and 
gives  information  concerning  the  Trinity  formation  in  Southwestern  Arkan- 
sas. Numerous  wells  have  been  drilled  in  Miller  County  without  any  pro- 
duction so  far  being  reported. 

Mississippi 

This  county  lies  in  the  valley  between  two  great  rivers,  the  Mississippi 
and  the  St.  Francis  and  the  entire  surface  is  covered  with  many  feet  of 
alluvial  soil  brought  down  in  recent  years  from  the  water  sheds  of  these 
streams.  It  is  therefore  difficult  if  not  impossible  to  detect  from  surface 
indications  the  locations  most  favorable  for  the  accumulation  in  the  buried 
deposits  of  commercial  amounts  of  oil  and  gas.  The  whole  county  lies  in 
the  Coastal  Plain  region  where  conditions  are  regarded  as  being  more  fav- 
orable than  elsewhere  in  the  State.  The  geology  of  Mississippi  County  is 
explained  in  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  Water  Supply  Paper  399. 

Monroe 

The  Coastal  Plain  region,  embracing  Monroe  County,  offers  the  greatest 
promise  for  the  discovery  of  commercial  amounts  of  oil  and  there  is  en- 
couragement for  the  drilling  of  wells  at  points  where  a  favorable  structure 
is  to  be  found.  The  geology  of  this  section  is  explained  in  U.  S.  Geological 
Survey,  Professional  Paper  46. 

Montgomery 

This  county  lies  in  the  area  of  exposed  paleozoic  rocks  in  which  in 
the  opinion  of  most  oil  and  gas  geologists  the  formations  have  been  too  far 
altered  to  offer  promise  for  the  discovery  of  commercial  pools  of  oil,  though 
gas  may  be  found  at  points  of  favorable  anticlinal  or  domal  structure.  The 
geology  of  this  general  section  is  discussed  in  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  Bul- 
letin 691-J.  There  has  been  no  detailed  examination  of  the  geology  or 
structure  with  regard  to  oil  and  gas  possibilities. 

Nevada 

This  county  lies  in  the  Coastal  Plain  region  in  close  proximity  to  the 
producing  El  Dorado  field.  The  geologic  maD  shows  the  area  about  equally 
divided  between  the  Quaternary,  Tertiary  and  Cretaceous  formations.  The 
geologists  say  that  metamorphic  action  has  not  altered  the  beds  to  a  de- 
gree that  would  destroy  oil  accumulations  and  in  favorable  anticlinal  and 
domal  situations  it  may  reasonably  be  expected  that  oil  and  gas  would  be 
found  in  Nevada  County.  The  geology  of  the  section  is  explained  in  U.  S. 
Geological  Survey  Bulletin  691-J,  "Asphalt  Deposits  and  Oil  Conditions  in 
Southwestern  Arkansas."  Several  deep  wells  have  been  drilled  in  the 
vicinity  of  Prescott  but  no  production  of  either  oil  or  gas  is  reported 
at  this  time. 

Newton 

This  county  is  located  in  the  area  of  exposed  paleozoic  rocks  in  which 
in  the  opinion  of  most  oil  and  gas  geologists,  the  formations  have  been  too 
far  altered  to  offer  promise  for  the  discovery  of  large  amounts  of  oil,  though 
natural  gas  may  be  present  at  points  of  favorable  structure.  The  geology 
of  this  section  is  explained  and  mapped  in  Geologic  Folio  202.  The  out- 
croppings  in  the  Ozark  region  are  of  greater  geologic  age  than  those  in  which 
oil  and  gas  have  been  found  in  commercial  quantities  in  this  country,  especi- 
ally in  the  Mid-Continent  field. 

Ouachita 

This  county  is  in  the  Coastal  Plain  region  which  embraces  the  eastern 
and  southern  parts  of  the  State,  including  Union  County  where  oil  and  gas 
have  recently  been  developed.  Before  the  bringing  in  of  the  discovery 


86 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS 


well  in  El  Dorado  a  showing  of  oil  was  reported  from  the  Hunter  well 
located  near  Stephens  and  for  a  time  there  was  a  good  deal  of  activity  in 
the  buying  and  selling  of  leases  in  the  neighborhood.  It  was  reported  that 
one  of  the  large  oil  syndicates  obtained  control  of  the  field.  There  has 
since  been  no  new  drilling  and  no  oil  is  being  produced  at  this  time.  At 
Chidester  and  other  places  in  the  county  efforts  also  have  been  made  to 
find  oil  and  gas.  The  geology  of  the  rogion  is  explained  in  U.  S.  Geological 
Survey  Bulletin  429,  1910,  "Oil  and  Gas  in  Louisiana  and  Adjacent  States," 
and  in  Professional  Paper  46,  1906,  IT.  S.  Geological  Survey. 

Perry 

No  examination  of  the  geology  and  structure  of  Perry  County  has  been 
made  with  a  view  to  determining  the  oil  and  gas  possibilities  in  that  area. 
The  county  lies  in  the  region  of  exposed  paleozoic  formations  in  which, 
in  the  opinion  of  most  oil  and  gas  geologists,  the  formations  have  been  too 
much  altered  to  offer  promise  for  the  occurrence  of  commercial  oil  pools. 
It  is,  however,  possible  that  natural  gas  may  be  found  if  favorable  anti- 
clines or  domes  can  be  located.  The  fact  that  several  hundred  wells  drilled 
in  the  paleozoic  region  of  Arkansas  have  failed  to  encounter  commercial 
amounts  of  oil  constitutes  important  evidence  as  to  the  improbability  of 
finding  such  deposits  there. 

Phillips 

This  is  a  typical  "bottom  land"  county  on  the  Mississippi  River  front 
and,  except  for  the  tertiary  projection  known  as  Crowley's  Ridge,  the  whole 
area  is  covered  by  sediment  brought  down  in  recent  times  by  the  great  river 
and  its  tributaries.  These  deposits  covering  as  they  do  the  Quaternary  beds 
prevent  a  study  of  the  structure  where  it  would  be  expected  that  oil  and 
gas  might  accumulate  and  knowledge  will  be  gained  only  by  the  drilling  of 
prospect  wells  where  conditions  seem  most  favorable.  This  being  a  part  of 
the  Coastal  Plain  region  the  geologists  agree  that  the  indications  are  as  fav- 
orable for  finding  oil  and  gas  in  Phillips  County  as  in  any  other  part  of  the 
State. 

Pike 

The  geology  of  this  section  is  mapped  and  discussed  in  U.  S.  Geological 
Survey  Bulletin  691-J  describing  the  asphalt  deposits  and  oil  conditions  of 
Southwestern  Arkansas,  embracing  Pike  County.  The  presence  of  asphalt 
in  Pike  and  Sevier  counties  has  from  time  to  time  attracted  the  attention  of 
those  interested  in  oil  development  and  a  few  wells  have  been  sunk  with 
the  hope  of  finding  oil,  but  thus  far  oil  has  not  been  found  in  commercial 
quantity.  The  Trinity  formation  which  covers  a  part  of  the  county  con^ 
tains  petroleum  and  asphalt  at  many  places  in  Northern  Texas  and  South- 
western Oklahoma.  The  petroleum  yielding  the  asphalt  in  Arkansas  is  be- 
lieved to  have  been  derived  from  the  carboniferous  rocks  underlying  the 
Trinity  formation  near  the  base  of  which  the  asphalt  is  found. 

The  Cretaceous  rocks  in  Southwestern  Arkansas  have  a  southward 
dip  of  about  100  feet  to  the  mile,  and  although  they  have  been  slightly 
warped,  no  pronounced  anticlines  or  synclines  occur  in  Pike,  Howard  and 
Sevier  counties.  Thus,  if  petroleum  occurs  in  the  region  south  of  the 
asphalt  deposits,  its  accumulation  into  quantities  of  possible  commercial 
importance  would  probably  be  controlled  by  terrace  structure,  lenticular 
character  of  sands,  or  irregularities  in  the  Cretaceous  floor. 

Poinsett 

This  county  lies  in  the  Coastal  Plain  region  in  which  the  prospects 
for  discovering  commercial  oil  pools  are  probably  better  than  in  other  parts 
of  Arkansas.  If  favorable  anticlines  or  domes  can  be  located  it  is  probable 
that  oil  deposits  will  be  found  there.  The  region  is  covered  by  deposits  of 
recent  geologic  age,  so  that  it  is  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  from  an  exam- 
ination of  the  surface,  to  detect  indications  favorable  for  the  accumulation  of 
oil  and  gas  in  the  buried  formation.  The  general  geology  of  this  section  is 
mapped  in  Water  Supply  paper  399,  "Geology  and  Ground  Waters  of  North- 
eastern Arkansas."  There  has  recently  been  considerable  prospecting  in 
the  vicinity  of  Harrisburg,  but  so  far  no  production  is  reported. 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  87 

Polk 

This  county  is  located  in  the  area  of  exposed  paleozoic  rocks  in  which, 
in  the  opinion  of  most  oil  and  gas  geologists,  the  formations  have  been  too 
much  compressed  and  too  far  altered  to  offer  promise  for  the  discovery  of 
commercial  pools  of  oil,  although  it  is  possible  that  natural  gas  might  be 
found  at  points  of  favorable  anticlinal  or  domal  structure.  The  general 
geological  features  of  the  a^eu  are  &hown  on  a  map  included  in  Bulletin 
691-J,  relating  to  asphalt  deposits  aud  oil  conditions  in  Southwestern 
Arkansas. 

Pope 

This  county  lies  in  the  area  of  exposed  paleozoic  rocks,  in  which,  in  the 
opinion  of  geologists,  the  formations  have  been  too  far  altered  and  com- 
pressed to  offer  promise  for  the  discovery  of  commercial  amounts  of  oil, 
though  natural  gas  has  been  found  in  the  region  and  additional  supplies 
will  probably  be  developed  at  points  of  favorable  anticlinal  or  domal  struct- 
ure. U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  Bulletin  326,  pertaining  to  the  coal  fields 
of  the  State,  gives  information  regarding  the  geology  of  this  section. 

Prairie 

Included  in  the  Coastal  Plain  region,  Prairie  county  is  thought  to  have 
favorable  chances  for  finding  oil  and  gas  in  commercial  quantities,  but  there 
has  been  no  detailed  survey  with  special  reference  to  these  minerals  and 
very  little  is  known  as  to  the  location  of  favorable  anticlines  or  domes. 
The  general  geology  of  the  region  is  explained  in  Professional  Paper  46, 
U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  and  in  Water  Supply  Paper  399,  by  the  same 
survey,  the  latter  dealing  with  the  geology  and  underground  waters  of 
Northeastern  Arkansas. 

Pulaski 

With  the  exception  of  the  southeastern  corner  Pulaski  County  lies 
in  the  area  of  exposed  paleozoic  rocks  in  which  it  is  thought  that  the  forma- 
tions have  been  too  much  altered  and  compressed  to  offer  promise  of  the 
survival  of  commercial  pools  of  oil,  even  if  oil  was  once  present.  The  south- 
eastern corner  of  the  county  is  in  the  Coastal  Plain  region  in  which  the 
prospects  of  finding  commercial  amounts  of  oil  are  better  than  in  other 
parts  of  the  State  but  no  survey  has  been  made  to  determine  whether  the 
formations  are  of  sufficient  aggregate  thickness  or  have  been  folded  into 
domes  or  anticlines  so  that  they  offer  conditions  favorable  for  the  occurrence 
of  commercial  oil  pools.  Several  deep  wells  have  been  drilled  without  en- 
countering either  oil  or  gas.  It  is  believed  that  the  Western  Arkansas  gas 
field  may  be  found  to  extend  eastward  as  far  as  Little  Rock. 

Randolph 

No  detailed  examination  has  been  made  of  the  geological  and  structural 
features  of  Northeastern  Arkansas,  with  regard  to  oil  and  gas  possibilities, 
and  no  commercial  amounts  of  oil  have  been  found  in  Randolph  County. 
The  general  geology  of  this  section  has  been  mapped  and  described  in  U.  S. 
Geological  Survey  Water  Supply  Paper  399.  A  portion  of  the  southeastern 
part  of  Randolph  County  lies  in  the  Coastal  Plain  region  which  probably 
offers  greater  promise  for  the  discovery  of  commercial  oil  pools  than  other 
portions  of  the  State.  The  region  of  exposed  paleozoic  rocks  is  regarded  as 
unfavorable  for  the  accumulation  of  oil  in  commercial  quantities  but  it  is 
possible  that  natural  gas  may  be  found  here,  where  the  structure  Is 
favorable. 

Saline 

In  the  area  of  exposed  paleozoic  rocks  in  Arkansas,  embracing  most  of 
Saline  County,  it  is  probable  that  the  formations  have  been  too  greatly  com- 
pressed and  altered  to  offer  promise  for  the  discovery  of  commercial  amounts 
of  oil,  though  natural  gas  may  be  present  at  points  of  favorable  anticlinal 
or  domal  structure.  The  geology  of  this  general  section  is  discussed  in  Bul- 
letin 429,  U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  "Oil  and  gas  in  Louisiana  and  adjacent 
States,"  and  Bulletin  691-J,  "Asphalt  Deposits  and  Oil  Conditions  of  South- 
western Arkansas,"  also  published  by  the  Survey. 


88  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

Scott 

A  part  of  this  county  lies  in  the  natural  gas  belt  of  Western  Arkansas. 
Bulletin  326,  which  is  a  report  on  the  Arkansas  coal  field,  describes  the 
geology  of  parts  of  Scott  and  Yell  counties.  Bulletin  541  contains  a  report 
of  the  Fort  Smith-Poteau  gas  field,  and  describes  the  geology  of  the  north- 
ern part  of  Scott  County.  It  is  the  opinion  of  most  oil  and  gas  geologists 
that  the  formations  in  that  part  of  Arkansas  embracing  Scott  County  have 
been  too  far  altered  by  regional  metamorphism  to  offer  promise  for  the  dis- 
covery of  oil  in  commercial  amounts,  although  it  is  probable  that  additional 
supplies  of  natural  gas  will  be  found  at  points  of  favorable  anticlinal  or 
domal  structure.  A  showing  of  oil  was  obtained  in  a  well  drilled  to  a  depth 
of  2700  feet  near  Waldron  some  years  ago  but  the  well  did  not  prove  a  pro- 
ducer. 

Searcy 

Information  regarding  the  general  geology  of  Searcy  County  is  given 
in  Water  Supply  Paper  399.  There  has  been  no  detailed  investigations  such 
as  are  essential  to  any  determination  of  oil  or  gas  prospects  in  this  county. 
Searcy  County  lies  in  the  region  of  exposed  paleozoic  rocks  in  which,  ac- 
cording to  the  opinion  of  most  oil  and  gas  geologists,  the  formations  have 
been  too  far  altered  to  offer  promise  for  the  discovery  of  commercial  oil 
pools.  Natural  gas  may  be  found  in  the  region,  in  anticlines  and  domes, 
where  the  folding  has  not  been  too  severe. 

Sebastian 

The  Fort  Smith-Poteau  gas  field  has  been  mapped  and  describel  by  the 
U.  S.  Geological  Survey  in  Bulletin  541.  If  favorable  anticlines  or  domes 
can  be  located  in  this  part  of  the  State  it  is  probable  that  additional  gas 
supplies  may  be  developed. 

The  first  gas  well  was  drilled  in  Arkansas  on  the  Massard  Prairie, 
south  of  Fort  Smith  in  1901.  The  producing  field  at  present  extends  north 
and  south  of  the  Arkansas  River,  from  near  Alma  on  the  east  to  Poteau, 
Oklahoma,  embracing  parts  of  Crawford,  Sebastian  and  Scoft  counties.  '  The 
production  of  natural  gas  in  this  field  from  wells  drilled  in  1919  exceeded 
200,000,000  cubic  feet  a  day.  One  well  has  a  record  of  24,000,000  cubic  feet 
a  day  and  is  rated  as  one  of  the  largest  in  the  Southwest. 

Gas  is  found  at  depths  of  from  750  to  3175  feet.  There  are  seven  dis- 
tinct producing  sands,  each  from  40  to  280  feet  thick.  The  product  is  dry, 
clean  and  odorless.  Under  government  test  this  gas  shows  a  heating  record 
of  1057  British  thermal  units,  which  is  considerably  higher  than  the  tests 
made  by  most  gases  from  the  'Southwestern  field. 

Five  companies  are  operating  in  the  Arkansas  field  and  pipe  lines  are 
laid  from  the  wells  to  nearby  cities  for  distribution  to  more  than  100  indus- 
tries and  thousands  of  private  homes. 

The  following  analysis  of  natural  gas  from  the  Kibler  field  in  Crawford 
county  is  furnished  to  the  department  by  Mr.  Walter  D.  Van  Sickel,  general 
manager  of  the  Southwestern  General  Gas  Company,  Fort  Smith,  Ark. 

Carbon  Dioxide 0.14% 

Oxygen  0.06% 

Methene  , 97.60% 

Ethane 1.70% 

Residue .50% 


Total 100.00% 

Heating  value: 

Gross   1070  B.  T.  U. 

Net   971  B.  T.  U. 

As  to  oil  prospects  in  the  Western  Arkansas  natural  gas  field,  Dr.  Drake, 
former  State  geologist,  says : 

"Metamorphism  has  for  a  long  time  been  recognized  as  a  means  of  de- 
stroying oil  accumulations.  It  offers  what  is  apparently  the  best  explana- 
tion for  not  finding  oil  in  the  Kibler,  Massard  Prairie  and  neighboring  gas 
fields  of  Western  Arkansas." 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  89 

Sevier 

The  geological  and  stratagraphic  features  of  Southwestern  Arkansas 
are  similar  to  those  in  the  producing  oil  and  gas  field  of  Northwestern 
Louisiana  (and  Southern  Arkansas)  and  if  favorable  anticlines  or  domes 
can  be  located  in  the  former  region  it  is  probable  that  commercial  amounts 
of  oil  and  gas  will  be  found  there.  No  commercial  amounts  of  oil  or  gas 
have  yet  been  found  in  Sevier  County  although  traces  of  both  have  been 
encountered.  Information  concerning  oil  and  gas  conditions  in  this  part 
of  Arkansas  are  included  in  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  Bulletin  691-J,  "Asphalt 
Deposits  and  Gil  Conditions  in  Southwestern  Arkansas,"  whichi  says: 
"The  Cretaceous  rocks  in  Southwestern  Arkansas  have  a  southward  dip  of 
about  100  feet  to  the  mile  and,  although  they  have  been  slightly  warped, 
no  pronounced  anticlines  or  synclines  occur  in  Pike,  Howard  and  Sevier 
counties.  Thus  it'  petroleum  occurs  in  the  region  south  of  the  asphalt 
deposits  its  accumulation  into  quantities  of  possible  commercial  importance 
would  probably  be  controlled  by  terrace  structure,  lenticular  character  of 
sands  or  irregularity  in  the  cretaceous  rock.  A  flow  of  gas  was  obtained 
near  DeQueen  in  1918. 

Sharp 

The  general  geology  of  Sharp  County  is  shown  on  a  map  included  in 
Water  Supply  Paper  399,  "Geology  and  Ground  Waters  of  Northwestern 
Arkansas."  No  commercial  amounts  of  oil  have  been  found  in  that  part 
of  Arkansas  and  it  is  the  general  opinion  that  the  formations  have  been 
too  far  altered  and  too  greatly  compressed  to  offer  promise  for  the  discovery 
of  oil  pools,  though  natural  gas  may  be  found  at  points  of  favorable  anti- 
clinal or  domal  structure. 

St  Francis 

Except  for  Crowley's  Ridge,  which  extends  north  and  south  through 
the  center  of  St.  Francis  County,  it  is  difficult  to  study  the  geology  of  this 
district  and  its  relation  to  the  development  of  oil  and  gas  for  the  reason 
that  the  greater  part  of  the  county,  east  and  west  of  the  ridge  is  overlaid  by 
deposits  of  a  recent  geological  age,  preventing  a  study  of  the  buried  forma- 
tions in  which  it  may  be  expected  that  these  minerals  will  be  found.  The 
county  is  in  the  Coastal  Plain  region  which  is  regarded  as  being  favorably 
situated  for  the  accumulation  of  oil  and  gas.  The  geology  of  the  district  is 
explained  in  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  Water  Supply  Paper  399. 

Stone 

Geologists  seem  to  agree  that  the  region  of  exposed  paleozoic  rocks  in 
Arkansas,  which  embraces  Stone  County,  offers  no  promise  for  the  discovery 
of  commercial  oil  pools  for  the  reason  that  the  formations  have  been  too  far 
compressed  and  altered.  Small  deposits  of  natural  gas  have  been  found 
and  it  is  probable  that  additional  s applies  will  be  developed  at  points  of 
favorable  anticlinal  or  domal  structure. 

Union. 

The  Eldorado  oil  and  gas  field  is  fully  described  in  a  special  bulletin 
compiled  by  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey  later  to  be  published  by  the  Ar- 
kansas Bureau  of  Mines,  Manufactures  and  Agriculture.  The  following 
is  taken  from  -an  advance  press  bulletin  issued  by  the  Survey  prior  to  the 
completion  of  the  discovery  well  on  Jan.  10,  1921. 

"The  formations  in  Southern  Arkansas  are  practically  identical  with 
those  that  yield  oil  and  gas  in  Northern  Louisiana  and  the  location  of  the 
area,  with  relation  to  the  Ouachita  and  Saline  uplifts,  indicates  that  there 
is  in  that  area  favorable  anticlinal  structure  comparable  to  the  anticlines 
beneath  which  the  Caddo  and  Homer  pools  were  formed.  Most  important 
of  all,  oil  and  gas  have  been  actually  found,  the  first  strike  occurring  in  the 
Spring  of  1920  in  the  Constantin  Refining  Company's  well  about  four 
miles  southwest  of  Eldorado,  when  a  flow  of  gas  estimated  at  from 
10,000.000  to  100,000,000  cubic  feet  a  day  and  a  spray  of  oil  was  obtained." 

Since  this  time  more  than  598  producing  oil  wells  and  30  gas  wells  have 
been  completed  and  this  development  has  centered  attent'on  in  Union,  Col- 


90 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 


umbia  and  Ouachita  counties,  though  LaFayette,  Nevada,  Bradley  and  Ash- 
ley counties  are  also  regarded  as  containing  favorable  areas. 

"The  surface  formations  are  principally  sands,  gravels  and  clays  of 
Pleistocene  age  and  clays  and  sandstones  of  the  Claiborne  group,  of  Eocene 
age.  Many  of  the  clay  beds  are  "gumbo,"  red  to  brown  in  color,  with  no 
evident  fissility  or  bedding  that  will  aid  in  deciphering  the  structure.  Others 
are  gray  and  are  platy,  with  strikingly  marked  stratification.  There  are 
also  a  few  buff  to  tan  clays,  which  contain  lenses  of  coarse  gravel.  The 
gray  and  brown  clays  and  shales  at  many  places  contain  a  large  percentage 
of  microscopically  fine  sand  and  behave  like  sandstones  in  revealing  the 
work  of  currents  by  cross-bedding,  so  that  what  seems  to  be  structural  dips 
must  be  carefully  examined  before  they  are  accepted  as  such.  *  *  * 

"The  existence  of  anticlinal  structure  is  indicated  by  pronounced  dips 
that  can  be  seen  in  the  railroad  cuts  and  along  roads  through  the  district. 
The  observable  dips  are  not  sufficiently  numerous  to  reveal  the  extent 
and  exact  outlines  of  the  folds,  but  careful  work  will  doubtless  disclose 
other  criteria  that  may  be  used  in  outlining  them.  In  some  places  the  dips 
are  so  steep  that  they  are  possibly  due  to  slumping  or  faulting  rather  than 
to  folding,  and  there  is  undoubtedly  some  cross-bedding,  but  even  after 
these  doubtful  areas  are  ruled  out  of  consideration  there  remain  enough 
good  exposures  in  which  reliable  observations  can  be  made  to  make  it 
certain  that  there  are  anticlinal  folds  whose  flanks  dip  from  one-half  to 
six  degrees.  These  pronounced  dips  indicate  that  the  folds  will  be  large, 
as  sharp  dips  on  small  structural  features  are  rare.  *  *  * 

'The  evidence  available  indicates  that  southwestern  Arkansas  is  one 
of  the  most  promising  undeveloped  regions,  and  it  is  hoped  that  prospecting 
will  proceed  until  its  potentialities  are  fully  revealed." 

El   Dorado  Production   in   1921. 

In  the  El  Dorado  field  there  are  589  producing  wells  having  in  1921  a 
total  production  of  11,672,480  barrels,  of  the  value  of  $23,344,960.  The  de- 
velopment by  months  was  as  follows: 

WELL  RECORD 


January  
February  . 

Completed 
9 

.  .  ..         4 

March 

15 

April 

25 

May 

58 

June 

98 

July  .  .. 

76 

August   

97 

76 

October 

90 

November  .... 

41 

December   .. 

83 

Oil 
1 

4 

19 
51 
90 
71 
91 
70 
83 
31 
75 


Gas 
2 

"l 
3 
4 
3 
3 
4 
1 
3 
5 
3 


Dry 

Barrels  Sold 

6 

No  Sales 

No  Sales 

~2 

No  Sales 

3 

No  Sales 

3 

930,000 

5 

1,168,350 

2 

1,596,500 

2 

1,948,753 

5 

1,437,730 

4 

1,355,847 

5 

1,830,800 

5 

1,404,500 

Total  ..................     672  598  32  42  11,672,480 

Analysis  of  El   Dorado  Crude. 

Reported  by  U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  Sample  Number  716,  State  of  Ar- 
kansas, El  Dorado  Field,  Union  County. 

Specific  gravity,  0.852 
Per  cent  sulphur,  0.83 
Baume"  gravity,  34.3° 
Per  cent  water,  0.1 

Saybolt  Universal  viscosity  at     70°  F.  —  57.0 
Saybolt  Universal  viscosity  at  100°  F.—  46.6 
Pour  test,  below  5°  F. 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS 


Distillation,  Bureau  of  Mines  Hempel  Method. 
Air  distillation,  Barometer,  749  mm.    First  drop/  31*  c.  (88*  F.) 


Temp.      Pet.       Sum     Sp.  Gr. 


°C          Cut        Pet.       Cut 

Up  to  50 

50-  75         4.5           4.5       0.680 

75.9 

75-100        4.2           8.7         .701 

69.7 

100-125         7.1         15.8         .722 

63.9 

125-150         6.2         22.0         .746 

57.7 

150-175         5.1         27.1         .772 

51.3 

175-200         3.6         30.7         .795 

46.1 

200-225         3.5         34.2         .810 

42.8 

225-250        4.4         38.6         .823 

40.1 

250-275         5.1         43.7         .833 

38.1 

Vacuum  distillation  at  40  mm.  — 

Up  to  200      5.5           5.5         .853 

34.1 

40 

200-225         6.5         12.0         .860 

32.8 

45 

225-250         5.9         17.9         .874 

30.2 

60 

250-275        5.4        23.3         .890 

27.3 

81 

275-300        4.6         27.9         .903 

25.0 

132 

Carbon  residue  of  residuum  —  10.3%. 

Cloud 

•B.    Viscos-    Test    Temp. 
Cut       ity         *F          F° 


Up  to  122 
122-167 
167-212 
212-257 
257-302 
302-347 
347-392 
392-437 
437-482 
482-527 


18 
30 
52- 
72 
91 


Up  to  392 
392-437 
437-482 
482-527 
527-572 


Approximate  Summary. 


Per  cent.  Sp.  Gr.  °B. 

Gasoline  and  naphtha 30.7  0.735  60.5 

Kerosene   13.0  .823  40.1 

Gas   oil 12.0  .857  33.4 

Light  lubricating  distillate 11.3  .882  28.7 

Medium  lubricating  distillate 4.6  .903  25.0 

Van  Buren 

Formations  outcropping  in  Van  Buren  County  are  of  greater  geological 
age  than  those  in  which  oil  and  gas  have  been  found  in  commercial  quantities 
in  this  country,  especially  in  the  Mid-Continent  fields.  This  county  is  in  the 
area  of  exposed  paleozoic  rocks  where  It  is  the  opinion  of  geologists  that 
the  formations  have  been  too  far  altered  to  offer  promise  for  the  discovery 
of  large  amounts  of  oil  though  natural  gas  may  be  present  at  points  of 
favorable  structure.  The  geology  of  this  section  is  explained  and  mapped 
in  Geologic  Folio  202. 

Washington 

Any  commercial  amounts  of  oil  encountered  in  extreme  Northwestern 
Arkansas  will  probably  be  in  formations  of  greater  geologic  age  than  those 
yielding  oil  and  gas  in  Oklahoma  and  Kansas.  Detailed  descriptions  of  the 
eastern  edge  of  Washington  County  are  embodied  in  Geologic  Folios  119, 
154  and  202.  A  well  300  feet  deep  located  four  miles  northwest  of  Fayette- 
ville  has  for  several  years  furnished  gas  fuel  for  cooking  and  heating  at  a 
farm  house. 

The  occurrence  of  oil  and  gas  in  the  vicinity  of  Fayetteville  has  led 
many  to  the  expectation  that  something  substantial  might  be  realized  from 
it.  But  the  oil  indications  are  based  solely  upon  the  occurrence  of  petroleum 
in  small  quantities  in  the  Fayetteville  shale,  and  the  gas  thus  far  discovered 
is  evidently  from  the  same  source,  and  likewise  of  small  quantity.  Oil  may 
occur  in  the  rocks  of  any  geological  horizon,  and  the  mere  fact  of  its  pres- 
ence is  not,  as  many  suppose,  prima  facie  evidence  of  the  existence  of 
petroleum  in  paying  quantities.  The  Fayetteville  shale  has  been  pretty 
thoroughly  explored,  and  there  is  no  substantial  reason  for  expecting  it  to 
prove  a  source  of  oil. 

It  may  be  well  in  this  connection  to  correct  an  error  in  regard  to  the 
relation  of  the  structural  geology  of  this  part  of  the  State  to  this  •il-satur- 


92  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

ated  rock  on  Cove  Creek.  It  has  been  thought  that  the  rocks  in  the  Boston 
Mountains  dipped  north  forming  a  basin  in  the  central  or  northern  part  of 
Washington  County,  and  that  the  oil-bearing  rocks  exposed  on  Cove  Creek 
would  therefore  be  found  at  a  considerable  depth  in  Benton  County  and  in 
Northern  Washington  County,  and  rich  in  oil.  This  is  a  grave  mistake.  The 
general  dip  of  the  rocks  through  the  Boston  Mountains  is  to  the  south, 
though  there  are  many  local  dips  in  other  directions. 

White 

Water  Supply  Paper  399  contains  a  geologic  map  of  White  County  and 
describes  the  geology  of  the  southeast  half  of  this  county.  White  County  is 
located  on  the  border  between  the  area  of  paleozoic  rocks  and  the  Coastal 
Plain  region.  In  the  former  region,  it  is  probable  that  the  formations  have 
been  too  far  altered  and  compressed  to  be  favorable  for  the  occurrence  of 
commercial  oil  pools  though  natural  gas  may  be  present  at  points  of  favor- 
able anticlinal  or  domal  structure.  The  Coastal  Plain  region  probably  offers 
greater  promise  than  other  parts  of  the  State  for  the  discovery  of  oil  in 
paying  quantities  but  it  is  not  known  whether  the  formations  of  the  Coastal 
Plain  in  White  County  are  of  sufficient  thickness  in  the  aggregate  to  offer 
favorable  conditions  for  the  occurrence  of  commercial  amounts  of  oil.  Deep 
wells  have  recently  been  drilled  in  the  vicinity  of  El  Paso  and  near  Judsonia 
without  success  in  the  efforts  to  find  oil. 

Woodruff 

This  county  lies  in  the  Coastal  Plain  region  in  which  the  prospects  for 
finding  commercial  amounts  of  oil,  if  favorable  anticlines  or  domes  can  be 
located,  are  better  than  in  other  parts  of  the  State.  However  there  has  been 
no  investigation  of  the  geological  and  structural  conditions  in  that  county  in 
sufficient  detail  to  gain  any  knowledge  as  to  the  presence  of  local  anticlines 
or  domes  in  the  buried  formations  in  which  oil  and  gas,  if  present,  would 
be  encountered. 

Yell 

Bulletin  351  contains  a  geologic  map  of  Arkansas  and  brief  descriptions 
of  the  geology  of  Yell  County.  The  larger  number  of  wells  that  have  been 
drilled  in  the  region  of  exposed  paleozoic  rocks,  some  of  which  are  in  Yell 
County,  and  their  failure  to  encounter  commercial  amounts  of  oil  constitutes 
important  evidence  as  to  the  improbability  of  finding  such  deposits  there, 
the  geologists  think.  It  is  possible  that  natural  gas  may  be  found  in  this 
part  of  the  State  where  favorable  anticlines  or  domes  can  be  located. 


Tanks   Loaded  with   Arkansas  Oil   in    El   Dorado  Yards. 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  93 

Pearls 

Precious  pearls  are  procured  from  the  fresh  water  mollusca  of  White 
and  Black  Rivers  in  North  Arkansas  and  occasionally  from  Little  River  in 
Southwest  Arkansas.  The  Arkansas  pearls  are  of  rare  quality  in  color  and  an 
unusually  high  per  centage  are  perfectly  shaped.  Frequently  gems  are  found 
that  bring  from  $300  to  $2,500  each. 

The  pearl-bearing  shells  are  extensively  used  in  the  manufacture  of 
pearl  buttons,  being  dredged  from  the  bottom  of  the  streams  by  specially 
designed  boats  manned  by  expert  fishermen.  Tons  of  these  mollusca  are 
marketed  annually  at  Black  Rock,  Newport,  DeValls  Bluff  and  Clarendon, 
where  there  are  plants  for  the  production  of  the  pearl  buttons  of  commerce. 


Perofskite 

Titanic  and  calcium  oxides.     In  cubes,  octahedrons,  etc.,  and  fine  twin 
crystals.    Magnet  Cove. 


Phosphates 

The  developed  phosphate  deposits  of  Arkansas  are  on  Lafferty  Creek, 
on  the  western  edge  of  Independence  County.  The  only  point  at  which  the 
beds  are  now  worked  is  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  east  of  White  River 
and  the  same  distance  from  the  White  River  branch  of  the  Missouri  Pacific 
Railroad.  Although  this  is  the  only  locality  at  which  the  deposits  have  been 
developed,  they  have  a  wide  east-west  extent,  reaching  from  the  town  of 
Hickory  Valley,  ten  miles  northeast  of  Batesville,  westward  at  least  as  far  as 
St.  Joe,  in  Searcy  County,  a  distance  of  more  than  80  miles.  A  phosphate 
bed,  which  is  practically  horizontal,  outcrops  in  a  winding  line  on-  the  hill- 
sides and  in  other  places  between  the  points  mentioned.  A  phosphoric 
horizon  can  be  traced  to  the  westward  border  of  the  state,  but  at  no  point 
west  of  St.  Joe  have  phosphate  rocks,  in  considerable  amount,  attracted 
the  attention  of  geologists.  Thin  layers  of  phosphatic  sandstone  are  found 
in  the  Devonian  shales  in  the  western  part  of  Carroll  County,  on  War  Eagle 
Creek. 

The  following  analyses   of   specimens   of  the   rock  were   made   in   the 
laboratory  of  the  United  States  Geological  Survey: 

Equivalent  in 

Phosphoric     Calcium  Phosphate 
Acid  (P  2  05)     (Gas  (PCM*) 
Four  inches  from  top  of  bed  ................................         25.86  56.45 

Middle   of  bed   ........................................................         27.24  59.46 

Eight  inches  from  bottom  of  bed  ........................         27.40  59.81 

Black  phosphate  ......................................................         32.60  71.06 

Composite  sample  ....................................................        29.18  63.70 

From  lower  Ded  ........................................................         13.46  29.38 

The  whole  area  over  which  the  phosphate  beds  occur  or  are  to  be 
expected,  has  not  been  examined,  and  it  is  not  known,  therefore,  how  much 
the  materials  vary  in  character  and  composition.  Judging  from  what  is 
already  known  it  seems  reasonable  to  suppose  that  better  deposits  than 
any  thus  far  found  may  yet  be  discovered.  "The  point,  however,  to  which 
we  would  direct  especial  attention,"  says  Doctor  Branner,  "is  that  all  of  these 
rocks,  even  those  running  high  in  iron  and  aluminia,  may  be  used  directly  as 
fertilizers.  This  is  a  fact  of  the  first  importance  to  the  owners  of  phosphate 
lands  and  to  the  farmers  of  the  South." 

Mention  has  also  been  made  of  the  occurrence  of  phosphate  nodules  in 
Clark  County  at  a  different  geological  horizon,  but  the  pebbles  have  never 
been  found  in  sufficient  quantities  to  prove  of  economic  interest. 

REFERENCES 
Branner,  John   C.  and    XewNom,  J.  P.  —  The   phosphate   rocks  of  Arkansas. 


Bulletin  No.  74,  Arkansas  Agricultural  Experiment  Station,  1902;  Review,  En 
gineering-  and  Mining  Journal,  Abstract  25. 


94 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 


PHOSPHATE    DEPOSfTS 

Phosphate   Area   of    Northern    Arkansas. 


The  phosphate  deposits  of  Arkansas.  Transactions  of  American  Institute 
of  Mining  Engineers,  1896,  Vol.  XXVI,  1896. 

Arkansas  phosphate  rocks.  Arkansas  Democrat,  semi-weekly,  Little 
Rock,  November  3,  1901;  Harrison  Times,  Harrison,  Arkansas,  January  18,  1902. 

Purdue,  A.  H. — Developed  phosphate  deposits  of  Northern  Arkansas.  Bul- 
letin No.  315,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Washington,  1907. 

Memminger,  C.  G. — Phosphate  rocks  in  Arkansas.  Mineral  Industry,  Vol. 
XI,  New  York,  1903. 

Stone,  Ralph  W. — Phosphate  Rock  in  1918.  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Mineral  Re- 
sources of  the  United  States,  1918. 

Waggraman,  Wm.  H. — A  report  on  the  natural  phosphates  of  Tennessee, 
Kentucky,  and  Arkansas.  Bulletin  No.  81,  United  States  Department  of  Ag- 
riculture, Bureau  of  Soils,  Washington,  1912. 


Finite 

Hydrous  alkaline  silicate;  Speckstein  (Syn).  A  group  well  represented, 
but  needing  more  study;  in  granitic  rocks,  pseudomorphous  after  lolite? 
Also  other  species  probably  pseudomorphous  after  nephelite  and  other  min- 
erals; other  members  of  the  pinite  group  occur  here  and  elsewhere;  Finite 
schist  occurs  at  junction  of  quarts  with  black  shale.  Magnet  Cove. 


Potash  From  Leucite  Rock 

During  the  world  war  F.  C.  Calkins,  of  the  U.  S.  Geol.  Survey,  examined 
the  deposits  of  leucite  rock  in  the  Magnet  Cove  district  of  Arkansas  with 
special  reference  to  their  possible  utilization  as  a  source  of  potash,  but  with 
the  cessation  of  hostilities  the  European  supply  again  became  available  and 
no  development  work  was  undertaken.  The  leucite  rock  is  one  of  the  many 
sources  of  potash  which  can  be  made  use  of  in  this  country,  but  the  difficulty 
of  recovering  the  potash  from  this  material  renders  it  of  little  economic  value 
in  competition  with  the  richer  and  more  easily  obtained  potash  of  Germany 
and  France  on  our  markets. 


Precious  Stones 

Besides  diamonds,  pearls  and  quartz  crystals,  which  are  treated  under 
separate  headings,  the  Arkansas  list  of  precious  stones  includes  amethysts, 
rare,  but  found  occasionally  in  Montgomery  and  Yell  counties;  turquois  or 
variscite,  found  in  veins  of  quartz  and  in  concretionary  patches  in  dolomites 
in  Montgomery  county;  garnets,  in  Magnet  Cove;  false  topaz,  Hot  Spring 
County;  sunstone,  pink  or  gray,  in  Magnet  Cove;  wavelite,  the  latter  found 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  95 

also  in  Magnet  Cove;  opal,  about  the  ancient  hot  springs  in  Saline  and  Hot 
Spring  counties;  jasper  of  various  colors,  in  Montgomery  and  Polk  counties; 
and  agate,  finely  variegated,  in  Montgomery  county. 


REFERENCES 

Kunz,  Georgre  Frederick. — Gems  and  precious  stones  of  North  America. 
Second  edition,  New  York,  1892.  Quartz  crystals,  pp.  110-111;  Novaculite,  122; 
lodestone,  192;  titanite,  194;  Arkansite,  194. 


Pseudobrookite 

Titanic  and  iron  oxide.    An  iron  bearing  mineral,  near  brookite,  is  prob- 
ably this.    Magnet  Cove. 


Pyrophyllite 

In  serpentine  and  steatite;  Saline  County  soapstone  district,  eastern  end. 
Also  reported  by  Purdue  from  Searcy  County. 


Pyroxene 

Only  the  non-aluminous  green  coccolite  has  been  distinctly  recognized, 
but  other  varieties  may  occur. 


Quartz  Crystals 

Quartz  crystals  of  wonderful  lustre  and  form  are  found  in  many  parts 
of  Arkansas,  notably  in  the  vicinity  of  Hot  Springs,  in  the  Crystal  Mountains, 
which  it  is  said  has  furnished  some  of  the  largest  and  most  beautiful  quartz 
crystals  in  the  world.  Cavities  in  the  rocks  are  beautifully  coated  with 
these  sparkling  gems,  many  of  them  of  rare  color  and  shape;  some  of  them 
with  liquid  cavities.  They  are  non-mineral  bearing  and  are  valuable  chiefly 
as  curios  or  ornaments,  being  known  as  "Hot  Springs  Diamonds"  because 
of  their  manufacture  into  trinkets  and  jewelry  for  sale  as  souvenirs  to 
visitors  at  Arkansas'  famous  health  resort.  Clear,  limpid  specimens  are 
found  at  Delaney  in  Madison  County  and  in  Crystal  Mountain,  near  Womble, 
Montgomery  County. 

REFERENCES 

Report  Arkansas  Geological  Survey,  Vol.  I,  1882,  pp.  113,  128,  289. 

Rectorite 

A  peculiar  form  of  kaolinite,  to  which  the  name  rectorite  has  been 
given,  is  found  in  Saline  County.  This  material  is  tough  and  leathery, 
but  it  has  the  smooth  soap  feel  so  characteristic  of  the  kaolins  and  of  steatite. 
It  occurs  in  association  with  the  Carboniferous  sandstones  of  the  region,  but 
the  deposits,  so  far  as  is  known,  are  only  about  a  foot  thick.  Rectorite,  as 
it  comes  from  the  ground,  ranges  in  color  from  pure  white  to  reddish  brown. 
The  sheets  are  very  flexible  but  entirely  without  elasticity.  It  is  infusible 
before  the  blow  pipe,  but  when  heated  in  the  flame  of  a  Bunsen  burner  it 
loses  water  and  becomes  brittle. 


Road-Making  Materials 

The  materials  best  adapted  for  road  making,  and   having  anything  like 
a  wide  distribution  in  Arkansas,  are: 

A.  Arenaceous  shales. 

B.  Chert,  of  "flint  rock." 

C.  Novaculite. 

D.  Gravels. 

The  arenaceous  shales  abound  in  the  Lower  Coal  Measures  of  the  state 
in  the  region  south  of  the  north  face  of  the  Boston  Mountains,  north  of  the 
Fourche  and  Petit  Jean  Mountains,  and  west  of  the  St.  Louis,  Iron  Mountain 
and  Southern  Railway.  This  region  contains  sandstones  and  clay  shales  as  well 
as  sandy  shales,  but  as  a  rule  the  sandy  shales  are  very  widespread  through  it. 
One  needs  to  guard  against  the  clay  shales  in  this  region,  for  they  are  about 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS  97 

as  abundant  as  the  sandy  shales,  and  the  two  often  grade  into  each  other 
imperceptibly. 

Chert  or  flint  is  one  of  the  hardest  of  rocks,  but  it  doesn't  usually  occur 
in  considerable  quantities  in  its  original  beds,  but  is  everywhere  mixed  with 
more  or  less  lime,  so  that  beds  of  pure  chert  often  grade  into  pure  limestones 
or  marbles.  The  cherts  (in  place)  in  this  state  are  confined  to  the  area  lying 
north  of  the  Boston  Mountains  and  west  of  the  Iron  Mountain  Railway.  Not 
all  of  this  area,  however,  contains  chert  beds.  There  are  two  horizons  at 
which  it  occurs  in  large  quantities — the  first  is  that  of  the  Boone  chert  and 
cherty  limestone  lying  at  or  near  the  base  of  the  Carboniferous  series  of 
rocks;  the  second  is  the  great  chert  bed  lying  far  below  the  Boone  chert, 
geologically  speaking  ,and  exposed  in  the  counties  through  which  the  upper 
White  River  flows.  The  Boone  chert  (in  place)  begins  in  Independence 
county,  just  west  of  the  Black  River,  and  near  Dota  postoffice,  about  five 
miles  northeast  of  Sulphur  Rock.  It  forms  a  belt  of  ragged  edges  from  five 
to  fifteen  miles  wide,  crossing  the  state  from  this  point  past  Cushman,  Moun- 
tain View,  Marshall,  St.  Joe,  Harrison  and  Eureka  Springs,  and  forming  the 
greater  part  of  the  surface  of  Benton  county.  Without  a  large  map  it  is  im- 
possible to  show  the  precise  distribution  of  this  Boone  chert  through  the 
Northern  part  of  the  state. 

Novaculite  is  very  like  chert,  both  in  composition  and  in  its  behavior 
as  a  road-making  material.  It  occurs,  however,  only  in  the  hilly  region  lying 
south  of  the  Coal  Measures,  where  it  forms  the  Zigzag  Mountains  about  Hot 
Springs  and  the  great  Ouachita  Mountain  system  south  of  the  Ouachita 
River,  extending  from  Rockport,  Hot  Spring  County,  nearly  to  Oklahoma, 
west  of  Dallas,  Polk  County.  It  is  from  this  series  of  rocks  that  the  famous 
Arkansas  whetstones  come.  The  novaculite  is  usually  much  shattered  and 
fractured  as  it  lies,  and,  being  for  the  most  part  a  brittle  rock,  it  may  readily 
be  broken  when  it  is  not  already  small  enough  to  be  used  without  crushing. 
Like  the  chert,  it  accumulates  in  vast  quantities  in  the  beds  of  streams  and 
in  narrow  valleys,  and  it  is  from  these  local  accumulations  that  the  materials 
can  be  had  most  conveniently  for  road-making. 

Siliceous  gravels  have  always  been  regarded  as  one  of  the  best  kinds  of 
road-making  materials.  They  have  this  considerable  advantage  over  pre- 
pared macadam  that  they  require  no  crushing,  and  are  therefore  ch?aper, 
while  they  have  been  partially  sorted  by  the  waters  which  transported  them 
to  where  they  are  found. 

The  material  composing  the  Arkansas  gravels  is  principally  chert. 
It  has  been  washed  down  the  streams  flowing  into  the  Arkansas  from  North- 
western Arkansas  and  Southwestern  Missouri,  which  fact  accounts  for  its 
being  found  all  along  the  Arkansas  Valley.  Its  wide  distribution  across  the 
valley  is  due  to  the  meanderings  and  channel  changes  of  the  Arkansas  River 
and  to  the  ancient  floods  of  that  stream. 

Beds  of  gravel  having  a  similar  origin  occur  along  White  and  Black 
Rivers  in  North  Arkansas,  and  follow  the  flood  plains  of  those  streams. 
Just  north  of  Sulphur  Rock,  in  Independence  County,  the  water-worn  ma- 
terials cap  the  hills  250  feet  above  White  River.  Further  up  the  river  these 
gravel  deposits  occur  here  and  there  as  isolated  patches  on  the  slopes  of  the 
inner  curves  of  the  large  streams,  often  hieh  above  the  present  water  level. 

Through  the  eastern  part  of  the  state  the  gravels  have  a  wide  and 
even  distribution  in  the  geologic  sense,  though  for  practical  purposes 
their  distribution  is  local  rather  than  general.  Along  Crowley's  Ridge  they 
are  often  found  concentrated  in  vast  quantities  in  the  beds  of  streams  that 
flow  from  the  ridge,  as  for  example  the  Little  Crow  Creek,  near  Madison, 
St.  Francis  county,  where  they  are  convenient  to  railway  transportation  and 
offer  abundant  and  excellent  material  for  road-building  through  the  eastern 
part  of  the  state,  where  such  material  is  scarce,  except  in  those  favored 
localities  along  Crowley's  Ridge. 

About  Little  Rock  such  gravels  are  mingled  with  sands  and  clays  that 
cover  almost  all  the  ground  upon  which  the  city  is  built.    In  those  parts  of  the 
state  lying  southwest  of  Little  Rock  these  gravels  are  of  novaculite.  and    / 
were  derived  from  the  region  of  novaculite  lying  between  Little  Rock  and  / 
Dallas,   in    Polk   County.     Along  what   was   once   the   old    shore  line  upon/ 


98  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

which  they  were  worn,  and  stretching  from  Little  Rock  past  Benton,  Malvern, 
Arkadelphia,  Murfreesboro,  Nashville,  Center  Point  and  Lockesburg  to 
Ultima  Thule,  these  gravels  form  extensive  beds,  in  places  twenty  feet  or 
more  in  thickness,  while  to  the  south  of  this  line  they -become  gradually 
finer  and  lens  abundant  until  in  the  extreme  southern  portion  of  the  state 
they  occur  in  patches,  and  the  individual  pebbles  are  of  small  size.  As  in 
other  cases,  they  are  often  concentrated  along  small  streams  and  in  narrow 
valleys.  About  Nashville  and  Center  Point,  in  Howard  County,  gravels  of  this 
type  are  widely  distributed,  making  good,  natural  roads  over  much  of  the 
higher  ground  of  that  and  adjoining  counties. 

For  top  dressing  of  turnpikes  or  road  metal  any  and  all  materials  that 
grind  up  quickly  under  traffic,  forming  dust  in  dry  weather  or  mud  in  wet 
weather,  must  be  regarded  as  objectionable.  Such  materials  have  certain 
advantages  for  first  construction  in  being  more  easily  prepared,  and  there 
is  therefore  so  much  more  reason  for  guarding  against  them.  Materials 
to  be  avoided  for  such  purposes  are: 

1.  The  argillaceous  or  clay  shales. 

2.  Limestones. 

3.  Syenites  or  "granites." 

4.  Clean  sandstone. 

It  will  be  seen  that  Arkansas  is  well  supplied  with  good  road  materials 
except  in  the  alluvial  bottom  lands  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  State,  and 
even  there  gravel  available  for  such  purposes  may  often  be  found  in  the 
stream  beds.  The  road-making  materials  of  the  novaculite  region  and 
of  the  chert  region  of  the  north  are  as  good  as  one  can  reasonably  ask  for — 
indeed,  they  are  about  as  good  as  materials  in  their  natural  condition  can 
bo — while  the  gravels  of  the  central  and  southwestern  parts  of  the  state  are 
excellent  and  sufficiently  abundant.  In  many  parts  of  the  state  road-making 
materials  are  so  good,  so  abundant,  and  so  widespread  that  lack  of  them 
can  never  be  an  excuse  for  bad  roads. 

(In  the  lower  lands  of  Southeastern  Arkansas  there  are  abundant  sup- 
plies of  gravel  on  the  ridges  between  the  streams  of  that  section. — N.  F. 
Drake.) 

REFERENCES 

Brainier,  John  C, — "Roadbuilding'  Materials  in  Arkansas,"  outlines  of  Ar- 
kansas Geology,  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  1920. 

Hugh  D.  Miser  and  A.  H.  Purdue — Gravel  Deposits  of  the  Caddo  Gap  and 
DeQueen  Quadrangles,  Arkansas,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.  Bull.  No.  690 — B,  1918. 

Griswold,  L,.  S. — Annual  report  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  Arkansas  for 
1890,  Vol.  II.  Whetstones  and  the  Novaculites  of  Arkansas. 


Rutile 

Titanic  oxide.     In  loose  crystals  and  in  metamorphic  rocks,  imbedded. 
Abundant  in  float.     Magnet  Cove. 


Sandstone 

The  Paleozoic  area  of  Arkansas  abounds  in  sandstone,  moit  of  which  is 
undeveloped.     In  the  large  area  of  Pennsylvanian  rocks,  especially  in  the 
Boston    Mountains,   there   is   much   excellent   light-brown   sandstone,   easily 
quarried,  and  there  is  considerable  quartzite  near   Hot  Springs.     Twenty- 
four  sandstone  quarries  in  eleven  counties  report  production  in  this  state. 
/The  largest  use  is  for  riprap,  with  concrete,  road-making,  railroad  ballast 
/  and  building  stone  following  in  order.  *  *  *  Sandstone  quarries  are  operated 
/    at  Carrollton,  Heber  Springs,  Morrilton,  Ozark,  Hot  Springs,  Guion,  Clarks- 
I     ville,  Lamar,  Leslie,  Ft.  Smith,  Greenwood,  Springdale,  Bald  Knob,  Russell 
and  Searcy. 

The  largest  rock  crushing  plant  in  Arkansas  is  that  operated  by  the 
V    Big  Rock  Stone  and  Construction  Company  of  Little  Rock,  and  its  source  of 
\   supply  is  the  great  mountain  of  solid  rock  on  the  north  bank  of  the  Arkansas 
\River,  opposite  Little  Rock,  upon  which  rests  Fort  Logan  H.  Roots. 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS 


99 


Sandstone  Quarry  at  Lamar   (Cabin  Creek  Station),  Ark. 


Schorlomite 

Calcium-iron  silicate  and  titanite;  near  Staurolite;  crystals,  scattered. 
Dr.  Koenig,  of  Philadelphia,  finds  the  schloromite  reported  from  this  locality 
to  be  titaniferous  garnet.  Magnet  Cove. 


Serpentine 

Usually  massive  or  in  grains;  in  beds  or  masses  of  wide  extent.  Ten 
miles  north  of  Benton;  in  imbedded  patches  in  quartz,  north  of  Blocher, 
Saline  County. 


Silex,  Silica 

Name  sometimes  used  as  synonymous  with  quartz;  Pealite  is  opal,  and 
occurs  in  places  where  ancient  hot  springs  made  surface  deposits.  Magnet 
Cove. 


Siliceous  Sinter,  Silica 

Opal  or  quartz;  Pealite  is  opal,  and  occurs  in  places  where  ancient  hot 
springs  made  surface  deposits.  Magnet  Cove. 

Silver 

There  are  deposits  of  argentiferous  ores  in  the  state,  some  of  which 
are  deserving  of  thorough  examinations,  although  none  of  these  have  been, 
as  yet,  extensively  developed.  On  the  other  hand,  a  considerable  amount  of 
mining  work  in  a  small  way  has  been  done  in  situations  where  there  is  no 


Scale  of  miles 

25  SO  75 


Map  Showing  the  Slate  Area  in  Arkansas. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ARKANSAS    . 

DEPT.  OF  RURAL  ECONOMICS  &  SOCIOLOGY 
FAYETTEVILLE,     -    -     ABKANSAt- 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  101 

possible  chance  of  success,  while  assays  of  questionable  value  have  induced 
many  to  excavate  in  rocks  which  are  even  more  certain  to  yield  no  silver 
than  to  prove  barren  in  gold.  *  *  *  What  is  most  needed  in  the  silver  areas 
is  exploration  to  greater  depths;  in  other  words,  development. 

The  mining  for  silver  in  Pulaski  County  has  been  fitful,  and  thus  far, 
not  profitable,  but,  as  might  be  expected  in  the  neighborhood  of  Little  Rock, 
the  explorations  have  been  somewhat  thorough.  There  are  in  the  county 
three  districts,  the  immediate  environs  of  Little  Rock,  the  Kellogg  mining 
area  and  the  region  about  the  McRae  mine.  There  are  two  districts  in 
Saline  County  where  prospecting  has  been  done,  but  in  neither  of  the  areas 
have  silver  ores  been  actually  mined,  and  there  is  much  uncertainty  con- 
cerning their  occurrence.  Unsuccessful  prospecting  also  has  been  done  in 
Garland  and  Hot  Spring  counties.  Extensive  operations  have  been  carried 
on  in  Montgomery  County,  especially  about  Silver  City,  but  without  profit 
to  the  miners. 

The  silver-bearing  deposits  in  Pike  and  Howard  Counties  are  not  prom- 
ising. The  product  of  the  Antimony  Mines  (Sevier  County),  where  they  carry 
galena,  may  eventually  yield  the  precious  metal,  but  there  is  not  a  high  per- 
centage of  it  in  the  ore  that  has  been  mined. 

REFERENCES 

Branner,   John    C. — Annual   Report   of   the   Geol.    Surv.    of   Arkansas,    1888, 
Vol.  I. 


Slate 

The  slate  area  of  Arkansas  covers  part  of  the  Ouachita  Mountains, 
which  lie  south  of  the  Arkansas  River  and  have  a  general  east-west  trend. 
The  area  extends  from  the  vicinity  of  Little  Rock  about  100  miles  west- 
ward nearly  to  Mena,  and  has  an  average  width  of  15  miles.  The  rocks 
include  shales,  slates,  chert,  novaculite  (a  deposit  of  extremely  fine  quartz 
grains),  sandstone  and  a  little  limestone.  The  entire  sedimentary  series 
is  estimated  at  11,400  feet  in  thickness,  of  which  the  upper  8,825  feet  contains 
some  commercial  slate. 

The  Missouri  Mountain  slate  has  been  extensively  prospected  and  is 
now  quarried  at  Slatington.  It  produces  both  red  and  green  slate,  the 
former  predominating.  In  some  places  the  cleavage  is  parallel  to  the  bed- 
ding; in  others  it  is  oblique.  The  slate  is  defective  in  sonorousness  and  in 
many  places  shows  two  sets  of  slip  cleavage. 

The  different  types  of  slate  are  described  as  follows:  Black  Slate,  from 
Mena,  near  Big  Fork,  pure  black,  exceedingly  fine  texture  and  a  remarkably 
smooth  cleavage  surface  with  a  slight  lustre.  Dark-reddish  slate,  from 
Mena,  near  Big  Fork,  comparing  favorably  in  texture  with  the  "red"  slate  of 
New  York.  Reddish  slate,  from  the  Missiouri  Mountains,  not  quite  so  red 
as  the  New  York  slate,  but  finer  and  softer.  Greenish-gray  slate  from  Mena, 
resembles  the  sea-green  slate  of  Vermont.  Light  greenish  slate  from  Mis- 
souri Mountain,  fine  texture  and  almost  lusterless  cleavage  surface;  prob- 
ably too  delicate  for  use  as  roofing.  Very  dark  bluish-gray  slate,  from  Sec. 
25,  T,  3  S,  R.  29  W,  fine  texture  and  a  smooth  cleavage  surface  with  a 
better  luster;  durable.  Light-gray  slate  with  a  slightly  greenish  tinge,  from 
Sec.  30.  T.  35,  R.  28  W.,  fine  texture  but  lusterless,  roughish  surface.  Very 
dark-gray  spangled  slate  from  quarry  of  S-W.  Slate  Mfg.  Co.,  coarse  texture 
and  rough  surface.  Spangled  with  minute  scales  of  mica. 

REFERENCES. 

Purdue,  A.  H. — The  Slates  of  Arkansas,  the  Geol.  Surv.  of  Arkansas.  1909. 

Dale,  T.  Nelson. — Microscopic  analyses  of  Arkansas  slate.  Bulletin  No. 
275,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Washington,  1906. 

Note  on  Arkansas  roofing  slates.  Bulletin  No.  225,  U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Wash- 
ington, 1904. 

Bulletin  275  and  430,  U.  S.  Geological  Survey. 


Smoky  Quartz 

Silicia.     Variety  of  Quartz;    in  vein-like  portions  of  beds;    apparently 
more  common  in  the  regions  where  millstone  grit  is  exposed.    Magnet  Cove. 


102  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

Soapstone 

South  of  Hot  Springs  road  in  the  northeast  quarter  of  Section  15,  1  N.f 
15  W-,  (12  miles  northeast  of  Benton)  there  is  a  good  showing  of  soapstone 
in  favorable  situation  for  mining.  The  deposit  deserves  to  be  thoroughly 
tested.  This  material  was  successfully  used  by  John  Olson  to  line  the 
furnace  doors  of  a  lime  kiln,  near  Alexander,  more  than  40  years  ago.  It  is 
said  to  be  the  only  deposit  of  soapstone  west  of  the  Mississippi  river. 

REFERENCES. 

Britnner,  John  C. — Report  Arkansas  Geol.  Surv.,  Vol.  I,  1888. 

Stannite 

Tin  Sulphide.    Tin  Pyrites.    Suspected,  in  small  quantity,  because  pyritous 
rock  shows  traces  of  tin;   Silver  World  mine,  Polk  County. 


Sulphur 

In  small  crystals  in  the  upper  opening  of  the  Silver  Hollow  mines  on 
the  east  bank  of  Buffalo  River  below  the  mouth  of  Rush  Creek,  at  the  open- 
ing on  the  bed  of  iron  pyrites  on  the  Keeling  place  on  Tomahawk  Creek, 
and  at  a  few  other  places  in  North  Arkansas  where  small  quantities  of 
pyrites  are  exposed. 


Sunstone,  Pink  or  Gray 

Cut  for  ornaments.    Magnet  Cove. 

Talc  Shale 

This  material  is  reported  to  be  present  along  the  road  from  Mount  Ida 
to  Black  Springs,  in  Montgomery  County.  A  ledge  of  talcose  shale  n  also 
exposed  in  the  southern  half  of  Section  11,  1  N.,  15  W.,  on  the  upper  Hot 
Springs  road  in  Saline  County.  Talcose  shales  and  talc  schists  are  also 
found  in  beds  and  pockets  with  black  shale  in  Magnet  Cove. 

REFERENCES. 
Branner,  John  C. — Report  Ark.  Geol.   Surv.,  Vol.   I,   1888. 


Thuringite 

In  pockets   and  hot  springs   deposits;    Hot   Springs   and   northward   in 
Garland  County. 


Travertine,  or  Tufa,  Calcareous 

Deposited  by  springs  and  streams,  locally;  impure  and  not  abundant; 
in  northern  districts  where  dolomites  outcrop;  Yell  and  Garland  counties, 
also  in  North  Polk  County. 


Tripoli. 

An  excellent  grade  of  tripoli  has  been  found  near  Butterfield  in  Hot 
Spring  county,  but  the  extent  of  the  deposit  is  unknown.  This  occurrence, 
according  to  H.  D.  Miser,  United  States  Geological  Survey,  is  a  weathered 
calcareous  siliceous  rock,  simulating  the  novaculites.  The  calcite  has  been 
leached  out,  leaving  a  pure  siliceous  residue  of  fine  grain.  The  novaculite 
beds  at  other  localities  have  also  been  altered  to  tripoli,  notably  at  Caddo 
Gap,  Montgomery  County  and  at  Langley,  in  Pike  County. 

Deposits  of  tripoli  are  reported  in  Montgomery,  Garland,  Ouachita,  Wash- 
ington and  Independence  counties. 

Purdue  reported  that  samples  of  good  "tripoli"  had  been  received  from 
the  vicinity  of  Farmington  in  Washington  county.  The  quotation  marks 
would  seem  to  indicate  that  the  tripoli  of  commerce  and  not  pure  tripoli 
is  meant. 

There  is  a  great  abundance  of  this  material  in  the  zinc  region,  but 
whether  or  not  it  has  any  commercial  value  is  a  matter  that  can  be 
determined  only  by  experiment. 

REFERENCES 
Branner,  John  C. — Report  Ark.  Geol.  Surv.,  Vol.  V,  1892. 


MINERALSIN     ARKANSAS 


103 


Six-Foot  Vein   of  Tripoli,   Near  Delight,   Ark. 

Variscite 

Montgomery  County,  translucent  and  transparent,  emerald,  bluish-green 
not  mined. 


Vesuvianite 

Yellowish  green  to  olive  green  crystals;  not  mined.     Magnet  Cove. 

Waters 

Arkansas  is  a  well  watered  state.  Hundreds  of  beautiful,  fres-f.o  ving 
springs  of  excellent  water  gush  from  hillsides  and  valleys  in  all  parts  of 
the  state.  In  the  limestone  region  north  of  the  Boston  Mountains,  such 
springs  are  especially  abundant,  large  and  beautiful.  They  are  not  mineral 
waters,  properly  speaking,  but  they  are  more  valuable  than  if  th3v  were. 
Some  of  these  springs  are  so  big  that  they  are  utilized  for  driving  mills, 
cotton  gins  and  other  machinery,  and  as  their  discharges  are  subject  to 
little  or  no  fluctuations  throughout  the  year,  they  are  free  from  the  dangers 
of  freshets  and  the  risks  of  droughts.  Such  are  Lester's  Spring,  six  miles 
west,  and  "Big  Spring,"  six  miles  northwest  of  Batesville;  another  on  Mill 
Creek,  Stone  county;  one  at  Marble  City,  Newton  County;  another  on  "ush 
Creek,  Marion  County,  and  one  at  Silver  Spring,  Benton  County.  At  Mam- 
moth Spring,  in  Fulton  County,  one  of  the  finest  water  powers  in  the  country 
is  furnished  by  an  enormous  clear  water  spring. 

Besides  these  truly  gigantic  springs,  no  one  who  travels  through  North 
Arkansas  can  fail  to  be  impressed  by  the  great  number  of  large  and  beautiful 
springs  to  be  found  at  every  town  and  village,  to  say  nothing 
almost  every  farm  house.  Especially  worthy  of  mention 
at  Big  Flat,  Lone  Rock,  Harrison,  Bellefonte,  Valley  Springs, 
Yardell,  Marble  City,  Francis  Postoffice  (Bear  Creek  Springs), 
Whitener  and  Spring  Valley. 

Fortunately,  the  Survey  has  made  a.n  analysis  of  a  type  of  the-e  fine 
springs — that  of  Valley  Springs,  Boone  County.  That  analysis  shows  that 
water  to  contain  only  15  grains  of  mineral  matter  to  the  gallon,  almost  all 
of  which  is.  carbonate  of  lime. 

There  is  also  an  abundance  of  springs  whose  waters  are  remarkable 
for  their  purity;  such  are  the  Crescent  Springs  at  Eureka  Springs,  Carroll 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  105 

County,  and  Elixir  Spring  at  Elixir,  Boone  County.  These  springs  contain 
less  than  six  grains  of  mineral  matter  to  the  gallon.  It  should  be  noted 
in  regard  to  these  two  springs  in  particular,  and  the  same  is  no  doubt 
true  of  many  other  springs  in  that  part  of  the  state,  that  their  waters 
pass  down  through  the  cherts,  rocks  that  have  but  little  easily  soluble  matter 
In  them,  and  this  is  no  doubt  the  reason  of  their  great  purity. 

Running  across  North  Arkansas  from  Batesville  to  the  Oklahoma  line, 
is  a  formation  spoken  of  in  the  Survey's  reports  as  the  Batesville  sandstone; 
it  is  the  coarse,  yellowish  brown  sandstone  on  which  and  partly  of  which 
Batesville  is  built.  Several  other  towns  of  North  Arkansas  are  built  on 
this  same  sandstone;  namely,  Mountain  View,  Marshall,  St.  Joe  and  Green 
Forest.  The  towns  mentioned  get  their  water  supply  from  wells  dug  in 
this  Batesville  sandstone;  the  water  is  soft,  cool  and  abundant. 


The  Hot  Springs  of  Arkansas 

The  waters  of  Hot  Springs  claim  the  place  of  first  importance  in  any 
consideration  of  the  medicinally  valuable  waters  of  the  State.  For  a  great 
many  years  these  waters  have  been  used  by  people  from  all  parts  of  the 
country  with  results  that  merit  the  serious  attention  of  everyone,  and  strike 
the  ordinary  observer  as  nothing  short  of  marvelous. 

There  are  44  hot  springs,  flowing  1,000,000  gallons  a  day.  The  average 
temperature  of  the  waters  is  135  degrees  Fahrenheit.  The  springs  are 
owned  and  controlled  by  the  United  States  and  in  1832  were  set  apart  as  a 
National  Sanitarium  for  all  time,  dedicated  to  the  people  of  the  United 
States  to  be  forever  free  from  sale  or  alienation.  There  are  24  bath  houses 
connected  with  the  springs,  some  of  these  being  of  palatial  architecture  and 
magnificently  equipped.  The  operation  of  the  baths  and  charges  are  regu- 
lated by  the  government  through  a  superintendent  of  the  reservation,  ap- 
pointed by  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior.  The  government  has  spent  large 
sums  on  the  building  of  roads  and  parkways  and  otherwise  beautifying  the 
resort,  which  is  visited  annually  by  upward  of  100,000  people  from  many  parts 
of  the  world  who  come  here  for  rest,  recreation  and  treatment.  Some  of 
the  world's  finest  resort  hotels  are  located  at  Hot  Springs  and  there  are 
housing  facilities  for  caring  for  the  large  number  of  visitors. 

The  waters  of  the  hot  springs  are  very  pure.  On  an  average  the  several 
spring  water  contain  12.94  grains  of  material  in  solution  to  the  gallon.  Of 
this  material  nearly  60  per  cent  is  carbonate  of  lime,  over  21  per  cent  is 
silica,  9  per  cent  is  carbonate  of  magnesia,  while  the  remainder  is  chiefly 
chloride  of  sodium  (common  salt),  sulphate  of  soda  (Glauber's  salt)  and 
sulphate  of  potash.  There  is  but  little  difference  in  the  composition  of  the 
waters  of  the  various  springs.  The  positive  therapeutic  qualities  of  these 
waters  are  due  to  physical  rather  than  to  chemical  properties,  their  virtue 
being  due  to  radio  activity,  which  is  very  marked  in  some  of  the  springs. 

Briefly  stated,  the  use  of  the  Hot  Springs  waters  opens  the  pores  and 
channels  for  the  expulsion  of  the  matters  injurious  to  health,  arouses 
torpid  and  sluggish  secretions,  stimulates  the  circulation,  the  muscles, 
the  skin,  the  nerves,  the  internal  organs,  and  purifies  the  blood,  removes  all 
aches  and  pains,  restores  the  exhausted,  revives  the  debilitated  and  helps 
Uuild  up  and  renew  the  entire  system.  They  are  administered  in  the  treat- 
ment of  the  sick  internally  and  externally,  being  drunk  in  large  quantities 
and  applied  in  all  the  different  forms  of  baths. 

The  cold  waters  of  Hot  Springs,  Arkansas,  are  justly  famed  everywhere, 
both  as  medicinal  and  table  waters.  It  is  in  the  cold  waters  of  Hot  Springs 
that  mineral  is  most  evident  and  best  results  are  often  secured  when 
they  are  drank  in  connection  with  the  baths,  especially  in  affections  of 
kidney,  bladder,  stomach  and  rheumatic  conditions.  Marvelous  relief  in  the 
early  stages  of  Bright's  diseases  and  dropsy  are  accredited  to  these  waters. 

Among  the  various  cold  water  springs  are  the  Desoto  Springs,  the 
Mountain  Valley  Springs,  the  Radio  Magnesia  Springs,  the  Arsenic  Springs 
and  the  Potash  Sulphur  Springs. 


106 


MINERALS  IN  ARKANSAS 


REFERENCES. 

Branner,  John  C. — Report  Ark.  Geol.  Surv.,-  Vol  I,  1891. 

Baltwood,  B.  B. — "Radio-Active  Properties  of  the  Waters  of  Hot  Springs," 
American  Journal  of  Science,  Vol.  CLXX,  Aug.,  1905. 

Purdue,  A.  H — "The  Collecting  Area  of  the  Waters  of  Hot  Springs,  Ark.", 
Journal  of  Geology,  Vol.  18,  1910. 


Wavellite 

Hydrous  aluminum  phosphate.  Common  in  radiated,  spherical  and 
hemispherical  crystaline  aggregations,  and  in  similar  forms  thickly  spread 
over  rock  surfaces.  Magnet  Cove- 


Zinc 

The  zinc  ores  of  North  Arkansas  are  found  for  the  most  part  in  rocks 
of  Ordovician  age.  The  ores  in  the  order  of  their  importance,  are  sphalerite 
(zinc  sulphide),  popularly  called  "jack,"  "rosin  jack,"  etc.;  smith- 
sonite  (zinc  carbonate),  and  calamine  (zinc  silicate).  In  addition  to  these, 
there  are  several  minerals  of  zinc  that  are  more  or  less  abundant,  but  they  do 
not  occur  in  sufficient  quantities  to  entitle  them  to  be  looked  upon  as 
ores.  The  following  conclusions  seem  to  be  warranted: 

The  concentrates  produced  are  generally  of  high  grade  and  free 
from  or  very  low  in  iron  or  lime.  The  sphalerite  has  frequently  asayed  2 
to  3  per  cent  above  the  price  basis  of  60  per  cent,  metallic  zinc  content. 
The  sphalerite  and  smithsonite  are  shown  by  analysis  to  contain  rppreciable 
quantities  of  cadmium,  especially  in  a  yellow  variety  of  smithsonite,  known 
locally  as  turkey  fat,  which  shows  as  high  as  0.8  per  cent  of  cadmium. 

REFERENCES. 

Branner,  J.  C. — Annual  Report  of  the  Geol.  Surv.  of  Arkansas  for  1892, 
Vol.  V.  The  zinc  and  lead  region  of  North  Arkansas,  Little  Rock,  1900. 

Adams,  Purdue  and  Burchard. — Zinc  and  lead  deposits  of  Northern  Arkan- 
sas. U.  S.  Geol.  Surv.,  Professional  Paper  24.  Washington,  1904. 


Zinc   Mine,  Silver   Hollow   Bluff  on   Buffalo   River,   Marion   County. 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS  107 

Mounds  and  a  Suggested  Theory  As  To  Their  Origin. 

By  BEN  F.  ALLEN 

The  origin  of  mounds  of  from  one  rod  to  two  or  three  rods  in  diameter 
and  one  to  tour  feet  high,  smooth,  oval,  and  practically  round,  found  in  flat 
or  poorly  drained  places  that  have  been  or  are  now  habitually  wet,  has  been 
a  mystery  to  which  geologists  have  given  much  study.  It  is  ths  writer's 
belief  that  they  are  caused  by  alkalines  localizing  in  spots  in  soils  thus  be- 
ing rendered  less  subject  to  erosions.  The  resistance  of  alkaline  soils  to 
erosion  is  well  known,  especially  lime  soils.  Thus  these  spots  gradually  as- 
sume the  form  of  mounds  by  the  washing  away  of  the  surrounding  soil  which 
is  rendered  more  susceptible  to  erosion  as  the  alkalines  leach  out  of  it. 

It  is  well  known  that  all  alkalines  not  only  obey  the  laws  of  affinity 
and  molecular  attraction  but  have  a  strong  tendency  to  creep  up  and  out 
of  any  solution  and  to  reach  free  air,  where  they  crystalize.  If  present  in 
sufficient  strength  in  their  struggle  with  the  acids,  an  uprooted  tree  or  a 
gopher  mound  or  other  bit  ot  soil  protruding  above  the  wet  surface  is  a 
convenient  place  for  the  alkalines  to  congregate  and  escape  to  the  air 
and  crystalize,  and  a  nucleus  for  a  mound  is  started.  The  mounds  are 
formed  only  in  places  that  are  or  have  been  wet  enough  dur'ng  a  good  part 
of  the  year  and  flat  enough  to  facilitate  free  lateral  molecular  circulation 
of  soluble  elements. 

These  mounds  are  not  found  in  lime  or  other  strongly  alkaline  soils, 
nor  are  they  found  in  soils  strongly  acid  and  extremely  weak  in  alkalines, 
because  a  sufficient  variation  in  solution  cannot  be  produced  to  cause  a 
sufficient  difference  in  erosional  susceptability.  Following  this,  if  a  soil 
where  mounds  are  now  plentiful  should  become  either  strongly  acid  or 
strongly  lime  the  mounds  would  disappear.  In  places  they  are  disappearing, 
owing  to  the  influence  of  levees,  drainage,  or  irrigation  or  flooding  by  hard 
or  soft  water.  If  the  wetness  or  stillness  or  stagnation,  of  the  soil  solution 
is  corrected  by  good  drainage  they  will  disappear.  But  in  some  places  they 
are  growing,  or,  the  surrounding  soil  is  being  washed  away,  leaving  the 
mounds  more  prominent,  even  in  pastures  where  the  tramping  of  cattle 
and  other  stock  would  ordinarily  be  expected  to  cause  the  soil  to  wash 
away.  They  consist  of  the  same  soil  as  that  surrounding  them  of  the  same 
geological  level,  and  contain  the  same  strata,  gravel  and  even  stones.  Their 
internal  decomposition  is  altered  perhaps  by  the  slight  differences  in  the 
water  solution.  They  are  not  accretions,  but  just  the  opposite — they  are 
residuary.  They  are  soft  and  mealy  on  top,  for  they  are  better  drained 
and  more  alkaline  than  elsewhere.  The  facts  can  easily  be  demon- 
strated by  the  spade  and  by  litmus  tests.  These  mounds  thus  become  of 
little  interest  to  the  geologist  prospecting  for  oil  or  mineral,  but  they 
become  of  very  material  interest  to  the  farmer. 


Magnet  Cove. 

Magnet  Cove,  Hot  Spring  County,  has  long  been  known  as  a  locality  for 
many  rare  and  beautiful  as  well  as  useful  minerals  and  there  is  hardly  a 
cabinet  of  minerals  in  the  world  that  does  not  contain  numerous  specimens 
from  this  renowned  district.  This  small  area  is  of  great  interest  not  only 
to  the  mineralogists,  but  to  the  petrographer  both  on  account  of  the 
of  varieties  of  rocks  found  there  and  of  the  many  instances  in  which 
association  of  the  rocks  is  such  that  an  insight  into  their  genetic  relations 
may  be  obtained. 

The   magnetite   of  Magnet  Cove  is   in   the  form  of  lodestone   and  will 
attract  pieces  of  iron  as  does  an  ordinary  magnet. 

REFERENCES.  Nf 

Annual  Report  Arkansas  Geological  Survey,  Vol.   II.,   1890,   Igneous  Rocks, 
by  J.  Francis  Williams. 


108 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS 


Interior   Diamond   Cave,    Newton    County. 


Diamond  Cave  of  Newton  County 

Near  Jasper,  Newton  County,  Arkansas,  is  Diamond  Cave,  a  subter- 
ranean wonder  place  rivaling  in  grandeur  and  excelling  in  beauty  the  fa- 
mous Mammoth  Cave  of  Kentucky.  The  Arkansas  cavern  has  been  ex- 
plored for  a  distance  of  20  miles  from  the  entrance,  it  is  claimed,  and  a  route 
for  tourists  covers  some  eight  miles  of  sight-seeing  through  forests  of 
stalagmites  and  under  festoons  of  gorgeous  stalactites,  the  display  of  cal- 
cite  crystals  being  wonderfully  brilliant  and  fairy-like  in  the  delicacy  of 
their  formations.  The  existence  of  the  cave  has  been  known  for  many 
years  but  until  the  recent  completion  of  an  automobile  road  to  Jasper,  from 
Russellville  and  Harrison,  it  was  difficult  for  tourists  to  reach  the  cave, 
the  mouth  of  which  is  about  four  miles  from  Jasper. 


Other  Publications  of  the  State  Bureau 
of  Mines,  Manufacturers  and  Agriculture 

W  Industrial  Guide,  a  Directory  of  Manufactures. 

Large  Township,  Railroad  and  Resources  Map  of  Arkansas. 
Arkansas  Information,  for  Homeseekers  and  Investors. 
Arkansas  Farm  and  Marketing  Bulletin,  Monthly. 
^Pleasure  Resorts  in  Arkansas,  for  the  Tourist. 

Sent  Free  on  Request. 

JIM  G.  FERGUSON,  Commissioner, 

Little  Rock,  Ark.,  U.  S.  A. 


MINERALS     I NARKANSAS  109 


Federal  and  State  Laws  on 
Minerals  and  Mining 


Synopsis  of  United  States  Mining  Laws. 

_  -A  bulletin  may  be  obtained  from  the  Department  of  Interior,  Wash- 
ing-ton, D.  C.,  or  the  United  States  Land  Office  at  Little  Rock,  Camden  or  Har- 
rison, Ark.,  giving1  complete  instructions  concerning-  the  filing  of  mining- 
claims  on  government  land. 

(Chapter  VI,   Revised    Statutes.) 

Section  2318.  Lands  valuable  for  minerals  shall  be  reserved  from 
sale,  except  as  otherwise  expressly  directed  by  law. 

Section  2319.  All  valuable  mineral  deposits  belonging  to  the  United 
States  are  declared  to  be  free  and  open  to  exploration  and  purchase,  by 
citiens  of  the  United  States  and  those  who  have  declared  their  intention  to 
'become  such  under  regulations  prescribed  by  law,  and  according  to  the  local 
customs  or  rules  of  miners  in  the  several  mining  districts,  so  far  as  the 
same  are  applicable  and  not  inconsistent  with  the  laws  of  the  United  States. 

Section  2320.  A  mining  claim,  whether  located  by  one  or  more  per- 
sons, may  equal,  but  shall  not  exceed  1,500  feet  in  length  along  the  vein  or 
lode;  but  no  location  of  a  mining  claim  shall  be  made  until  the  discovery  of 
the  vein  or  lode  within  the  limits  of  the  claim  located.  No  claim  shall  ex- 
tend more  than  300  feet  on  each  side  of  the  middle  of  the  vein  at  the 
surface,  nor  shall  any  claim  be  limited  by  any  mining  regulation  to  less 
than  25  feet  on  each  side  of  the  middle  of  the  vein  at  the  surface.  The 
end  lines  of  such  claims  shall  be  parallel  to  each  other. 

Section  2321.     Proof  of  citienship  required. 

Section  2322.  Locators  have  the  exclusive  right  of  possession  and 
enjoyment  of  all  the  surface  included  within  the  lines  of  their  locations, 
and  of  all  veins,  lodes  and  ledges  throughout  their  entire  depth,  the  top  or 
apex  of  which  lies  inside  of  such  surface  lines  extending  downward  verti- 
cally, although  such  veins,  lodes  or  ledges  may  so  far  depart  from  a  per- 
pendicular in  their  course  downward  as  to  extend  outside  the  vertical  side 
lines  of  such  surface  location.  But  their  right  of  possesion  to  such  out- 
side parts  of  such  veins  or  ledges  shall  be  confined  to  such  portions  thereof 
as  lie  between  vertical  planes  drawn  downward  as  above  described,  through 
the  end  lines  of  their  locations,  so  continued  in  their  own  direction  that 
such  planes  will  intersect  such  exterior  parts  of  such  veins  or  ledges.  And 
nothing  in  this  section  shall  authorize  the  locator  or  possessor  of  a  vein 
or  lode  which  extends  in  its  downward  course  beyond  the  vertical  lines 
of  his  claim  to  enter  upon  the  surface  of  a  claim  owned  or  possessed  by 
another. 

Section  2323.  Where  a  tunnel  is  run  for  the  development  of  a 
vein  or  lode  the  owner  shall  have  the  right  of  possession  of  all  veins  or 
lodes  within  3,000  feet  from  the  face  of  such  tunnel  on  the  line  thereof,  to 
the  same  extent  as  if  discovered  from  the  surface. 

Section  2324.  Miners  of  each  mining  district  may  make  regulations 
not  in  conflict  with  the  State  or  Federal  laws,  governing  the  location,  man- 
ner of  recording,  amount  of  work  necessary  to  hold  possession  of  a  mining 
claim,  subject  to  the  following  requirements: 

The  location  must  be  distinctly  marked  on  the  ground  so  that  its 
boundaries  can  be  readily  traced. 

All  records  of  mining  claims  shall  contain  the  names  of  the  locators, 
date  of  location  and  description  of  the  claims  bv  reference  to  some  natural 
object  or  permanent  monument  as  will  identify  the  claim. 

On  each  claim  not  less  than  $100  worth  of  labor  shall  be  performed 
or  improvements  made  during  each  year.  Upon  a  failure  to  comply  with 
these  conditions  the  claim  or  mine  shall  be  open  to  relocation. 

Section  2325.     Patents  are  obtained  by  filing  in  the  proper  land  office 


110  MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS 

an  application,  under  oath,  showing  compliance  with  all  regulations,  to- 
gether with  a  plat  and  field  notes  of  the  claim,  and  claimant  shall  post  a 
copy  of  such  plat  and  notice  of  such  application  in  a  conspicuous  place 
on  the  land,  and  shall  file  an  affadavit  of  at  least  two  persons  that  such 
notice  has  been  duly  posted  and  shall  file  a  copy  of  the  notice  in  such 
land  office,  and  shall  thereupon  be  entitled  to  a  patent  for  the  land. 

The  register  of  the  land  office,  upon  the  filing  of  such  application, 
plat,  field  notes,  notices  and  affadavits,  shall  publish  a  notice  that  such 
application  has  been  made,  for  60  days  in  a  newspaper  published  nearest 
to  such  claim;  and  post  such  notice  in  his  office  for  the  same  period. 

The  claimant  within  the  sixty  days  of  publication  shall  file  with  the 
register  a  certificate  of  the  United  States  surveyor-general  that  $500  worth 
of  labor  has  been  expended  or  improvements  made  upon  the  claim  and  that 
the  plat  is  correct.  At  the  expiration  of  the  sixty  days  the  claimant  shall 
file  his  affidavit,  showing  that  the  plat  and  notice  have  been  posted  in  a 
conspicuous  place  on  the  claim  during  the  period  of  publication. 

If  no  adverse  claim  shall  have  been  filed  at  the  expiration  of  sixty  days 
it  shall  be  assumed  that  the  applicant  is  entitled  to  a  patent  upon  the 
payment  to  the  proper  officer  of  $5  per  acre. 

Section  2326.     How  adverse  claims  may  be  filed. 

Section   2327.     Description   of   mining   vein    or   lode    claims. 

Section  2328.     Pending  applications;  existing  rights. 

'Section  2329.     Conformity  of  placer  claims  to  surveys;  limit  of. 

Section  2330.  Subdivisions  of  10-acre  tracts;  maximum  of  placer  loca- 
tions. 

Section  2331.  Conformity  of  placer  claims  to  surveys,  limitation  of 
claims. 

Section  2332.  Evidence  of  possession  necessary  to  establish  a  right  to 
a  patent. 

Section  2333.     Proceedings  for  patent  for  placer  claim. 

Section  2334.     Surveyor-general  to  appoint  surveyors  of  mining  claims. 

Section  2335.     Verification  of  affadavits. 

Section  2336.  Where  two  or  more  veins  intersect  or  cross  each  other, 
priority  of  title  shall  govern,  but  the  subsequent  location  shall  have  the 
right-of-way  through  the  space  of  intersection  for  the  purpose  of  the  con- 
venient working  of  the  mine. 

'Section  2337.     Patents  for  non-mineral  lands. 

Section  2338.  Local  legislature  of  any  State  may  provide  rules  for 
working  mines. 

Section  2339.  Vested  rights  to  use  of  water  for  mining;  right  of  way 
for  canals. 

•Section  2340.  Patents,  pre-emptions  and  homesteads  subjected  to  vested 
and  accrued  water  rights. 

Section  2341.  Mineral  lands,  upon  which  no  valuable  mines  have  been 
discovered,  may  be  homesteaded  in  quantities  not  to  exceed  160  acres,  or 
purchased  for  agricultural  purposes  at  $1.25  an  acre. 

Section  2342.  How  mineral  lands  may  be  set  apart  as  agricultural 
lands. 

Section  2343.  President  authorized  to  -establish  additional  land 
districts. 

Sections  2344-2346.  Provisions  of  this  chapter  not  to  affect  certain 
rights.  Mineral  lands  in  certain  states  excepted.  Grant  of  lands  to  States 
or  corporations  not  to  include  mineral  lands. 


FEES  OF   REGISTERS  AND   RECEIVERS. 

The  fees  payable  to  the  register  and  receiver  for  filing  and  acting 
upon  application  for  mineral  land  patents  are  $5  to  each  officer,  to  be 
paid  by  the  applicant  for  patent  at  the  time  of  filing,  and  the  like  sum  of 
$5  is  payable  to  each  officer  by  an  adverse  claimant  at  the  time  of  filing  his 
adverse  claim. 


MINERAL   LANDS  WITHIN   NATIONAL  FORESTS 

Mineral  lands  in  the  National  Forest  Reserves  are  subject  to  location 
and  entry  under  the  general  mining  laws  in  the  usual  manner. 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  111 

COAL  MINING   LEASES 
(Public— No.   146— 66th  Congress.) 

The  secretary  of  the  interior  is  authorized  to  divide  any  of  the  coal 
lands,  owned  by  the  United  States  in  Arkansas,  into  leasing  tracts  of  40 
acres  each,  or  multiples  thereof,  and  in  such  form  as  will  permit  the  most 
economical  mining  of  coal,  but  in  no  case  exceeding  2,560  acres  in  any  one 
leasing  tract,  and  shall  award  leases  thereon  by  competitive  bidding  or  by 
such  other  methods  as  he  may  by  general  regulations  adopt,  to  any  qualified 
applicant. 

Permits  may  be  obtained  for  prospecting  or  exploratory  work  neces- 
sary to  determine  the  existence  or  workability  of  coal  deposits  and  if  the 
land  contains  coal  in  commercial  quantities  the  permittee  shall  be  entitled 
to  a  lease  for  all  or  part  of  the  land  in  his  permit. 

Railroads  are  not  permitted  to  lease  any  coal  deposit  except  for  their 
own  use. 

Lessees  shall  pay  to  the  United  States  a  royalty  of  not  less  than  five 
cents  per  ton  and  an  annual  rental  of  25  cents  per  acre  for  the  first  year; 
50  cents  per  acre  for  the  second,  third,  fourth  and  fifth  year,  respectively, 
and  not  less  than  $1  per  acre  for  each  and  every  year  thereafter,  except 
that  such  rental  for  any  year  shall  be  credited  against  the  royalties  as  they 
accrue  for  that  year. 

The  Secretary  of  the  Interior  may  issue  permits  to  individuals  or  as- 
sociations to  prospect  for,  mine  and  take  for  their  use  but  not  for  sale,  coal 
from  the  public  lands  without  payment  of  royalty,  in  order  to  provide  for 
the  supply  of  strictly  local  domestic  needs  for  fuel;  this  privilege  shall  not 
extend  to  any  corporation  other  than  municipalities. 

The  provisions  of  this  act  shall  also  apply  to  all  deposits  of  coal,  phos- 
phate, soduim,  oil,  oil  shale  or  gas. 

For  past  production  20  per  centum  and  for  future  production  .37^ 
per  centum  of  the  amounts  derived  from  such  royalties  and  rentals  shall 
be  paid  to  the  State  wherein  the  leased  lands  or  deposits  are  located,  said 
moneys  to  be  used  by  such  State  for  the  construction  and  maintenance 
of  public  roads  or  for  the  support  of  public  schools  or  other  public  educa- 
tional institutions  as  the  legislature  of  the  State  may  direct. 

Royalties  accruing  under  any  oil  or  gas  lease  on  demand  of  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Interior  shall  be  paid  in  oil  or  gas. 


OIL    SHALE    LEASES. 

(Public— No.  146— 66th  Congress.) 

The  Secretary  of  the  Interior  is  authorized  to  lease  any  deposits  of  oil 
shale  belonging  to  the  United  States  and  the  surface  of  so  much  of  the 
public  lands  containing  such  deposits  or  land  adjacent  thereto,  as  may  be 
required  for  the  extraction  and  reduction  of  the  leased  minerals;  no  lease 
shall  exceed  5120  acres  of  land;  for  the  privilege  of  mining,  extracting  and 
disposing  of  the  oil  or  other  minerals  covered  by  a  lease  under  this  section. 
The  lessees  shall  pay  to  the  United  States  50  cents  per  acre  per  annum  for 
the  lands  included  in  the  lease  and  such  royalties  as  shall  be  specified  in 
the  lease,  the  rental  paid  for  any  one  year  to  be  credited  against  the  roy- 
alties accruing  for  that  year;  to  encourage  the  production  of  petroleum 
products  from  shales  the  Secretary  may,  in  his  discretion,  waive  the  pay- 
ment of  any  royalty  and  rental  during  the  first  five  years  of  any  lease; 
not  more  than  one  lease  shall  be  granted  to  any  one  person,  association  or 
corporation. 


State  Law  On  Recording  of  Government  Mining  Claims 

(Digest  of  the  Statutes  of  Arkansas,  1921) 

Section  7326.  Notice  to  be  recorded.  In  every  county  in  this  State  in 
which  lands  containing  mineral  still  belong  to  the  United  States  govern- 
ment, the  recording  of  mining  claim  notices  of  all  kinds  may  be  done  with 
the  ex-officio  recorders  of  the  various  counties  in  which  said  lands  are  sit- 
uated. 


112  MINERALS  IN  ARKANSAS 

Section  7327.  Fees.  The  fees  for  recording  mining  location  notices 
shall  be  one  dollar  for  notice,  to  be  paid  in  United  States  currency,  one- 
half  of  which  shall  go  into  the  County  treasury  to  the  credit  of  the  record 
fund.  The  fees  for  recording  all  other  mining  notices  shall  be  the  same  as 
are  now  allowed  by  law  for  recording  deeds. 

Section  7328.  Record  book.  The  recorder  shall  procure  a  suitably 
bound  book  and  shall  make  a  plat  therein  of  each  mining  claim  located  for 
the  free  use  of  all  miners  who  may  wish  to  examine  the  same. 

Section  7329.  Establishment  of  claim;  limitation.  When  any  owner 
or  claimant  of  any  mining  claim  on  any  of  the  lands  subject  to  location  as 
mining  claims  in  this  State  under  the  laws  of  the  United  States  shall  have 
had  possession  of  such  claim  for  a  period  of  three  years  and  shall  have 
performed  the  necessary  amount  of  annual  labor  or  improvement  to  hold 
said  claim,  as  now  required  by  law  for  said  period,  the  same  shall  be  suf- 
ficient to  establish  his  possessory  right  to  the  same;  provided,  that  if  said 
claimant  shall  have  performed  the  necessary  work  for  any  one  year  during 
said  period  and  shall  have  resumed  work  at  any  time  before  the  right 
of  others  intervene,  then  he  shall  be  entitled  to  the  possessory  right  to 
the  same.  No  person  shall  maintain  an  action  against  such  claimant  for 
the  recovery  of  a  mining  claim,  unless  the  same  shall  be  commenced  within 
one  year  after  his  right  of  action  shall  accrue. 

Section  7330.  Affidavit  of  aszessment  work.  On  or  before  the  thirty- 
first  day  of  December  of  any  year  in  which  the  time  expires  in  which  the 
assessment  work  or  improvement  now  required  by  law  to  hold  the  same, 
the  owner  of  such  claim  or  in  his  absence  his  agent  or  the  party  who  was 
in  charge  of  the  work  for  the  claimant,  may  make  and  file  for  record  in  the 
recorder's  office  in  the  county  in  which  said  claim  is  situated,  an  affidavit 
in  substance  as  follows: 

STATE   OF  ARKANSAS 

County  of  

,  being  duly  sworn,  deposes  and  says 

that  at  least  $ worth  of  work  or  improvements  were  performed  or 

made   upon    (here   describe    claim)    situated    in mining 

district,    county    of and-   State    of    Arkansas,    between    the 

day   of and    the day    of A.    D., 

and  that  such  expenditure  was  made  by  or  at  the  expense  of 

owners  of  said  claim  for  the  purpose  of  complying  with  the  law. 

Signature 

Jurat 

And  said  affidavit,  when  so  filed  and  recorded,  shall  be  prima  facie  evi- 
dence of  the  -performance  of  such  labor  or  the  making  of  such  improve- 
ments. 

Section  7331.  Indexed  record.  Hereafter  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the 
recorder  of  any  county  in  which  mining  location  notices  and  proof  of  labor 
performed  shall  be  recorded,  to  keep  a  suitably  bound  plat  book  properly 
arranged,  showing  all  the  legal  subdivisions  affected  by  such  notices,  in 
which  he  shall  keep  a  complete  index  of  all  such  instruments  recorded, 
showing  the  number  of  the  book  and  page  on  which  they  are  recorded,  and 
this  index  shall  he  kept  up  to  date  of  recording. 

Section  7332.  Penalty.  Any  recorder  who  shall  neglect,  refuse  or  fail 
to  keep  such  index  as  above  provided  for  shall  be  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor, 
and  upon  conviction  shall  be  fined  in  any  sum  not  less  than  $25  nor  more 
than  $100. 


The  State  has  no  supervision  over  Government  lands.  For 
plats  and  information  apply  to  the  U.  S.  Land  Office,  Little 
Rock,  Camden,  or  Harrison,  Ark. 


MINERALS    IN    ARKANSAS  113 

Law  Creating  Arkansas  Bureau  of  Mines,  Manufactures 
and  Agriculture. 

(Digest  of  Statutes  of  Arkansas,  1921) 

Section  7333.  Department  created.  A  department  is  constituted  and 
established,  which  shall  be  known  and  designated  as  the  "Arkansas  Bureau 
of  Mines,  Manufactures  and  Agriculture,"  and  shall  be  superintended  by  a 
Commissioner  to  be  appointed  by  the  Governor,  as  hereinafter  prescribed. 

Section  7334.  Appointment — election — salary — reports.  The  Governor 
shall  appoint,  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate,  some  suit- 
able and  competent  person  Commissioner  of  Mines,  Manufactures  and  Agri- 
culture, who  shall  be  elected  as  other  State  officers  every  two  years  there- 
after, and  he  shall  be  paid  for  his  services  the  sum  of  eighteen  hundred 
dollars  per  annum;  said  commissioner  shall  take  the  oath  of  office  pre- 
scribed for  other  State  officers,  and  shall  give  bond  in  the  sum  of  ten 
thousand  dollars  for  the  faithful  performance  of  his  official  duties,  which 
bond  shall  be  examined  and  approved  by  the  Governor,  and  he  shall  make 
a  biennial  report  to  the  Governor  of  the  things  pertaining  to  his  office,  and 
also  giving  an  itemized  statement  of  the  disbursement  of  all  moneys  appro- 
priated and  used  for  the  benefit  of  said  bureau. 

Section  7335.  Powers  and  duties  of  Commissioner.  The  Commissioner 
of  Mines,  Manufactures  and  Agriculture  shall  conduct  the  Bureau  of  Mines, 
Manufactures  and  Agriculture  at  the  seat  of  government  of  this  State,  in 
the  Capitol  building.  He  shall  have  control  of  all  books,  papers,  documents 
and  other  property  which  may  belong  to  or  be  deposited  in  said  bureau  in- 
cluding specimens  of  minerals,  vegetable  and  animal  products  of  the  State; 
keep  a  record  of  all  State  and  county  agricultural  societies,  keep  and  file 
all  reports  which  may  be  made  from  time  to  time  by  such  societies,  and  all 
correspondence  of  the  bureau  from  other  persons  or  societies  appertaining 
to  the  general  business  of  husbandry,  mining  and  manufacturing;  address 
circulars  to  societies  and  good  practical  farmers  in  various  parts  of  the 
State  and  elsewhere,  with  a  view  of  eliciting  information  upon  the  latest 
and  best  mode  of  culture  of  those  products,  field  crops,  fruits,  .vegetables, 
etc.,,  adapted  to  the  soil  and  climate  of  this  State;  also  on  all  subjects 
connected  with  field  culture,  horticulture,  stock  raising  and  dairying.  He 
shall  also  encourage  the  formation,  of  agricultural  and  horticultural  societies 
throughout  the  State  and  purchase,  receive  and  distribute  such  rare  and 
valuable  seeds,  plants,  etc.,  as  it  may  be  in  his  power  to  obtain  from  the 
general  government  and  other  sources,  as  may  be  adapted  to  the  soils  and 
climate  of  this  State.  He  shall  also  encourage  the  importation  of  improved 
breeds  of  horses,  cattle,  sheep,  hogs  and  other  live  stock,  and  the  introduc- , 
tion  of  labor-saving  implements  of  husbandry,  and  diffuse  information  In 
relation  to  the  same.  He  shall  encourage  such  domestic  industry,  and  house- 
hold arts  as  are  calculated  to  promote  the  general  thrift,  welfare  and  re- 
sources of  the  State.  To  effect  these  objects,  he  shall  correspond  with  the 
Department  of  Agriculture  at  Washington  and  representatives  of  our  na- 
tional government  abroad,  and  if  possible  procure  valuable  contributions  of 
seeds,  plants,  etc.,  from  the  same. 

Section  7336.  Further  duties.  The  seeds,  plants,  etc.,  received  by  the 
Commissioner  of  Mines,  Manufactures  and  Agriculture  shall,  so  far  as 
practicable,  be  distributed  throughout  the  State,  and  placed  in  the  hands 
of  farmers  and  others  who  will  agree  to  cultivate  them  properly  and  re- 
turn to  the  commissioner  a  reasonable  portion  of  the  products  thereof,  with 
a  statement  of  the  mode  of  cultivation  and  such  other  information  as  may 
be  necessary  to  ascertain  their  value  for  general  cultivation  in  this  State. 
Information  in  regard  to  agriculture  may  be  published  by  him  from  time 
to  time  in  the  newspapers  of  the  State,  provided  it  can  be  done  without 
expense  to  the  State.  He  shall  cause  an  analysis  to  be  made  of  all  com- 
mercial fertilizers  manufactured  in  or  imported  into  the  State,  so  as  to  find 
the  true  value  thereof,  and  shall  publish  the  result  of  such  analysis  for  the 
general  information  of  the  citizens  of  this  State.  The  chemical  department 
of  the  University  shall,  as  far  as  practicable,  make  such  analysis. 


114  MINERALS  IN  ARKANSAS 

Section  7337.  Mining  and  mineral  lands — information  as  to.  The  Com- 
missioner of  Mines,  Manufactures  and  Agriculture  shall  keep  a  record  of 
all  individuals,  companies  and  incorporated  companies  engaged  in  mining 
and  manufacturing  in  this  State,  and  shall  address  circulars  to  all  such  in- 
dividuals, companies  and  incorporated  companies  engaged  in  mining  of 
<*oal,  manganese,  silver,  lead,  copper,  or  any  other  minerals,  and  to  all 
persons  quarrying  marble,  granite  or  any  other  variety  of  stone  in  this 
State,  with  view  of  eliciting  as  to  the  extent  of  deposit,  output,  cost  of 
production  and  facilities  for  transportation.  He  shall  also  address  cir- 
culars to  persons  owning  mineral  lands  upon  which  no  mining  is  being 
prosecuted,  so  as  to  obtain  information  as  to  the  locality,  character  of 
mineral,  extent  of  deposit,  facilities  for  working  and  transportation,  and  all 
other  information  in  regard  to  the  same  that  may  be  necessary  to  arrive 
at  a  correct  conclusion  as  to  value. 

Section  7338.  Statistics — distribution  of  pamphlets.  The  Commissioner 
shall  methodically  arrange  all  of  the  statistics  in  relation  to  the  agricul- 
tural, manufacturing  and  mineral  resources  of  the  State,  collected  by  him 
as  hereinbefore  provided,  and  which,  in  his  opinion,  would  furnish  useful 
information  to  persons  who  may  wish  to  immigrate  into  this  State,  or  to 
persons  seeking  to  invest  capital,  and  shall  lay  the  same  before  the 
•Governor;  and  if  in  his  opinion  such  statistics  contain  information  in  re- 
gard to  the  resources  of  the  State  calculated  to  induce  immigration  and 
investment  of  capital,  he  shall  cause  the  same  to  be  printed  in  pamphlet 
•or  circular  form,  or  in  both,  and  as  many  copies  as  he  may  deem  necessary; 
when  printed,  the  Commissioner  shall  distribute  the  same  in  such  manner 
as  he  may  think  most  advantageous  to  induce  immigration  and  capital  into 
this  State. 

Section  7339.  Deputy  commissioner — appointment — salary.  The  Com- 
missioner of  Mines,  Manufactures  and  Agriculture  shall  be  allowed  one 
clerk,  who  shall  be  deputy  commissioner,  to  assist  him  in  conducting  the 
Dusiness  of  said  bureau,  to  be  appointed  by  said  Commissioner,  in  writing; 
said  deputy  shall  take  the  oath  of  office  prescribed  by  law,  which  shall  be 
Indorsed  on  the  appointment  and  filed  in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of 
State.  The  Commissioner  shall  be  responsible  for  all  acts  done  or  per- 
formed by  his  deputy  in  the  performance  of  his  official  duties,  and  said 
deputy  shall  receive  the  sum  of  two  hundred  dollars  per  month  for  his 
salary. 

Section  7340.  Collection  and  arrangements  of  specimens.  The  Com- 
missioner shall  procure  from  the  person  having  charge  of  the  specimens 
of  the  vegetable,  mineral  and  manufactured  products  of  the  State,  exhibited 
at  New  Orleans  at  the  World's  Industrial  and  American  Exposition,  and 
place  the  same  in  a  suitable  room  in  the  State  Capitol  building,  or  in  some 
suitable  room  contiguous  thereto,  and  he  shall  arrange  said  specimens 
in  said  room  in  such  manner  that  they  can  be  seen  and  examined  to  the 
'best  advantage,  and  shall  place  on  each  specimen  a  label  indicating  the 
particular  locality  where  the  same  was  found  or  produced.  It  shall  be  the 
-duty  of  the  commissioner  from  time  to  time  to  add  to  said  collection  by 
procuring  specimens  of  all  valuable  minerals  found  in  this  State,  and  all 
the  vegetable  products  grown  or  found  therein;  articles  of  a  perishable 
nature  shall  be  so  prepared  as  to  secure  their  preservation  as  much  as 
possible.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Commissioner  in  collecting  specimens 
to  procure  information  as  to  the  locality  where  found,  quantity,  extent 
of  deposit,  facilities  for  working,  transportation  and  all  other  facts  of  im- 
portance in  connection  therewith;  and  in  case  of  vegetable  products,  so  far 
as  practicable,  obtain  all  information  as-  to  locality,  character  of  soil, 
climate,  etc.;  and  shall  attach  to  each  specimen  a  label  showing  where 
"found  or  produced,  and  numbered,  and  shall  enter,  in  a  book,  kept  for  that 
purpose,  a  brief  synopsis  of  the  information  obtained  in  regard  to  each 
specimen;  said  entries  to  be  so  numbered  and  indexed  as  to  afford  easy 
reference. 

Section  7341.  Traveling  expenses.  Whenever,  in  the  opinion  of  the 
Commissioner,  it  is  necessary  to  visit  any  locality  in  this  State  for  the 


MINERALS  IN  ARKANSAS  115 

purpose  of  procuring  correct  information  in  regard  to  any  fact  connected 
with  the  mining,  manufacturing  or  agricultural  resources  of  the  State,  he 
shall,  with  the  approval  of  the  Governor,  visit  such  locality,  provided  not 
more  than  three  hundred  dollars  per  annum  shall  be  allowed  said  Commis- 
sioner for  such  traveling  expenses. 

Section  7342.     Vacancies.     The  Governor  shall  fill  any  vacancy  occur- 
ing  in  the  office  of  Commissioner  by  appointment.    Act  March  7,  1889. 


Geological  Commission 

(Digest  of  the  Statutes  of  Arkansas,  1921) 

Section  4972.  Commission  Created — State  Geologist.  A  commission 
is  hereby  created,  consisting  of  the  Governor  of  the  State,  who  shall  be 
ex-officio  chairman  of  the  commission,  the  President  of  the  University  of 
Arkansas,  and  the  Commissioner  of  Mines,  Manufactures  and  Agriculture, 
to  be  known  as  the  Geological  Commission  of  Arkansas;  said  commission 
shall  serve  without  compensation  from  the  State,  but  shall  be  reimbursed 
for  actual  expenses  incurred  in  the  discharge  of  their  duties;  and  the 
Governor  of  the  State  is  hereby  authorized  to  appoint  the  professor  of 
geology  in  the  University  of  Arkansas  as  ex-officio  State  Geologist. 

Section  4973.  Duties  of  Commission.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  said  com- 
mission to  direct  the  State  Geologist,  in  co-operation  with  the  U.  S. 
Geological  Survey,  to  investigate,  or  to  have  investigated,  such  of  the  nat- 
ural resources  of  the  State,  consisting  of  the  available  water  power  of  the 
streams,  the  clays  of  the  State  as  related  to  their  adaptability  to  the  var- 
ious purposes  for  which  clays  are  utilized,  the  cement  materials  of  the 
State,  the  road  materials  of  the  State,  and  such  other  minerals  and  economic 
geologic  products,  as  it  may  be  deemed  practicable  and  advisable  by  said 
commission  to  have  investigated,  and  to  prepare  or  have  prepared  such 
topographic  maps  as  may  be  deemed  advisable;  that  said  commission  may 
direct  said  State  Geologist  to  make  or  have  made  such  investigations  as 
may  be  deemed  advisable  relating  to  the  conservation  of  such  natural 
resources  as  are  exhaustable;  that  said  commission  may  direct  said  State 
Geologist,  in  co-operation  with  the  U.  S.  Geological  Survey,  to  make  such 
investigations  as  may  be  deemed  advisable  relating  to  the  safety  of  miners 
and  mine  operations  and  to  adopt  such  measures  as  may  be  deemed  prac- 
ticable to  assist  mine  operators  in  preventing  explosions  and  give  relief 
in  case  explosions  occur. 

Section  4974.  Duty  of  the  State  Geologist.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of 
said  State  Geologist  to  make  such  reports  to  said  commission  as  are  nec- 
essary to  a  complete  understanding  of  the  results  obtained  from  such 
investigations  as  shall  be  undertaken,  and  to  perform  such  other  duties  as 
usually  belong  to  the  office  of  State  Geologist;  the  reports  (shall)  be  ac- 
companied by  such  maps,  sections  and  other  illustrations  as  are  necessary 
to  their  complete  understanding;  the  cost  of  publishing  said  reports  shall 
be  paid  out  of  money  appropriated  for  public  printing;  the  number  of 
copies  of  each  report  shall  be  4,000;  the  members  of  the  General  Assembly, 
the  Geological  Commission,  and  the  State  Geologist  shall  each  have  twenty 
copies;  that  one  copy  be  sent  to  each  of  the  State  Universities  of  the 
country;  that  one  hundred  copies  be  sent  to  the  Department  of  Geology, 
University  of  Arkansas,  for  exchange  with  other  State  Geological  Surveys; 
and  that  the  remainder  be  distributed  by  the  State  Geologist,  without 
charge,  upon  application  and  receipt  of  the  necessary  postage  or  expressage. 

Section  4975.  Assistants.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  said  State  Geologist, 
by  and  with  the  approval  of  said  commission,  to  appoint  such  trained 
geological  assistants,  engineers  and  others  efficient  in  the  arts  and  sciences, 
as  may  be  necessary  to  completely  carry  on  the  investigations  undertaken; 
that  the  said  State  Geologist,  assistants  and  engineers,  are  hereby  directed 
to  go  into  any  mine  or  other  place  where  it  is  thought  necessary  by  the 
said  State  Geologist  to  go,  in  executing  the  directions  of  said  commission; 
that  all  salaries  shall  be  determined  by  said  commission,  and  shall  be  per 
<liem  and  only  for  the  time  of  actual  service. 


116  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

Section  4976.  Co-operative  arrangements.  The  Geological  Commission 
of  Arkansas  is  authorized  to  enter  into  such  co-operative  arrangements 
with  the  United  States  Geological  Survey,  or  other  Federal  bureaus,  for 
carrying  on  the  work  of  the  Geological  Survey  of  Arkansas,  as  may  be  ad- 
vantageous to  the  State. 

Section  4977.  Expenses.  The  'State  of  Arkansas  shall  pay  such  por- 
tions of  the  expenses  (field  and  traveling  expenses  including  salaries)  as 
may  be  agreed  upon  between  said  commission  and  the  United  States 
Geological  Survey;  the  full  and  complete  results  of  said  surveys  shall  be 
available  for  publication  in  State  reports;  and  the  expense  of  the  office 
work  for  the  State  reports  shall  be  borne  by  the  State. 

Section  4978.  Moneys,  how  expended.  All  moneys  shall  be  expended 
under  the  direction  of  the  commission,  upon  the  certificate  of  the  State 
Geologist  and  the  approval  of  the  Governor,  which  certificate  and  approval 
shall  alone  authorize  the  Auditor  of  State  to  draw  his  warrant  upon  the 
treasurer  for  the  amount  certified  and  approved.  Provided  that  in  no- 
event  shall  said  commission  expend  a  sum  exceeding  the  amount  appro- 
priated. 


Sand,  Gravel,  Oil  and  Coal  Taken  From  River  Beds. 

(Digest  of  the  Statutes  of  Arkansas,  1921) 

Section  6789.  Hereafter  it  shall  be  unlawful  for  any  person,  firm, 
corporation  or  association  of  persons  to  take  sand  or  gravel,  oil  and  coal 
from  the  beds  or  bars  of  navigable  rivers  and  lakes  of  this  State  without 
first  procuring  the  consent  of  the  Attorney  General  of  the  State.  Such  con- 
sent may  be  withheld  unless  such  person,  firm,  company  or  corporation 
shall  agree  in  writing  to  keep  an  accurate  record  and  account  of  all  sand 
and  gravel,  oil  and  coal  taken  by  him  or  them  from  said  rivers  and  lakes, 
and  render  to  the  said  Attorney  General  at  the  end  of  each  month  an 
itemized,  verified  statement  of  all  the  numbers  of  cubic  yards  of  sand  and 
gravel,  and  gallons  of  oil  and  tons  of  coal  taken  out  each  day  during  the 
month.  At  the  time  of  making  such  statement  the  person,  firm,  company 
or  corporation  shall  pay  into  the  State  Treasury  two  and  one-half  cents 
for  each  cubic  yard  of  sand  and  gravel  so  taken,  and  one-half  cent  for  each 
gallon  oil  and  six  cents  per  ton  for  coal  taken,  and  if  any  other  valuable 
minerals  are  found  in  such  rivers,  any  firm,  corporation  or  persons  taking 
the  same  out  shall  make  a  contract  with  the  Attorney  General,  stating 
the  per  cent  due  the  State. 

Section  6790.  Provides  penalty  of  not  less  than  $300  and  not  more 
than  $1,000  for  non-compliance  with  above  and  empowers  Attorney  General 
to  bring  suit  to  recover  royalties  for  State. 

Section  6791.  Applies  to  commercial  users  only,  no  charge  to  be  made 
to  those  who  remove  sand  or  gravel,  oil  and  coal  for  their  own  personal 
or  private  use. 

Section  6792.    Funds  collected  go  to  general  revenue  fund. 

Section  6793.  Any  firm,  corporation  or  person  may  take  and  remove 
gravel  and  sand  from  the  bed  or  bars  of  any  navigable  river  or  lake  within 
the  State  of  Arkansas,  when  the  same  are  used  for  road  building,  without 
paying  the  State  of  Arkansas  any  amount  whatever  for  the  same,  but  they 
shall  keep  an  account  of  such  removals  (Section  6794)  and  file  same  with 
the  Attorney  General  and  a  copy  with  the  county  judge  where  such  sand 
and  gravel  is  taken.  If  such  account  is  not  kept  and  proper  reports  made 
(Section  6795)  parties  removing  sand  and  gravel  shall  be  required  to  pay 
for  same. 


Water  Power. 

(Digest  of  the  Statutes  of  Arkansas,  1921) 

Section  10458.  Belongs  to  State.  All  water  power  in  this  State  sit- 
uated for  the  purpose  of  producing  power  for  all  lawful  purposes,  is  and 
the  same  is  hereby  declared  to  be  inherent  in,  and  a  part  of  the  public 


MINERALS  IN  ARKANSAS  117 

domain,  and  shall  vest  in  and  be  for  the  use  of  the  State  of  Arkansas,  and 
the  people  thereof,  for  its  and  their  use  and  benefit. 

Section  10459.  Right  to  Erect  Dams.  Any  person  or  corporation  or- 
ganized under  the  laws  of  this  State,  for  the  purpose  of  producing  power 
for  any  lawful  purpose,  and  who  or  which  owns  a  natural,  practical  dam- 
site,  or  who  or  which  has  secured  from  the  United  States  license,  permit 
or  authority  to  erect  a  dam  upon  land  on  a  damsite  owned  by  the  United 
States,  and  who  or  which  has  procured  a  charter  from  this  State  for  the 
development  and  operation  of  electric  power  plants  from  said  water  pow- 
ers, shall  have  the  right  to  erect  a  dam  across  any  navigable  or  non-navi- 
gable river  in  this  State  at  such  point,  for  the  purpose  of  developing  such 
electric  power. 

Section  10460.  Survey  and  Estimate  Expense.  When  said  person  or 
company  is  ready  to  begin  the  construction  of  his  or  its  dam,  it  shall  file 
with  the  Secretary  of  State  and  with  the  County  Clerk  of  the  county  or 
counties  in  which  the  lands  pertaining  to  such  water  power  are  situated, 
a  survey  showing  the  location  of  his  or  its  principal  power  damsite,  of  the 
stream  above  such  power  damsite  and  the  lands  necessary  for  the  develop- 
ment of  such  water  power,  with  an  estimate  and  the  engineer's  report  of 
the  cost  of  his  or  its  dam,  spillways,  power  plant  and  all  machinery  to  be 
used  in  generating  such  power,  to  be  verified  later  by  report  of  actual  cost 
of  construction. 

Section  10461.  Permit  from  Corporation  Commission.  When  said  per- 
son or  corporation  is  ready  to  proceed  with  the  construction  of  his  or  its 
dam,  he  or  it  shall  present  to  the  Corporation  Commission  of  Arkansas  his  or 
its  application  for  a  permit  to  use  such  power,  and  upon  a  hearing  of  such  ap- 
plication the  said  board  may  grant  to  such  person  or  corporation  a  permit  to 
erect  such  dam  or  dams,  and  use  such  power,  and  shall  fix  a  minimum  and 
maximum  compensation  per  horsepower  to  be  received  by  such  corporation 
for  the  use  of  the  power  so  generated.  Provided,  however,  any  person  or 
corporation  owning  or  controlling  any  dam,  as  herein  provided,  is  required 
to  construct  and  keep  open  a  chute  over  such  dam  or  construction  suffi- 
cient for  the  passage  of  fish,  either  ascending  or  descending  such  river  or 
water  course. 

Section  10462.  Sale  of  power.  Such  power  shall  be  for  public  use,  and 
shall  be  sold  to  private  parties  desiring  it  in  the  order  of  their  application, 
and  upon  equal  terms ;  and  such  power  shall  be  furnished  by  such  person  or 
corporation  at  his  or  its  principal  powerhouse  or  central  station.  Such 
power  may  be  applied  directly  by  water  or  through  the  instrumentality  of 
electricity  or  such  other  agencies  as  such  person  or  corporation  may  elect. 

Section  10463.  Assessment  of  tax.  If  any  person  or  corporation  tak- 
ing or  using  such  power  shall  elect  to  use  said  power  exclusively  for  its  own 
use  in  manufacturing  or  other  purposes  named  in  this  act,  the  Corporation 
Commission  of  Arkansas  shall  assess  the  tax  for  taking  and  using  such 
power  on  the  basis  of  power  so  taken  and  used,  said  power  to  be  charged 
for  as  if  it  had  been  sold  to  private  consumers. 

Section  10464.  Damages  for  injury  to  land.  In  case  any  person  or  cor- 
poration building  any  dam  shall  not  agree  with  the  owners  of  any  lands 
used  for  the  purpose  of  the  dam  are  flooded  thereby,  the  court  shall  assess 
the  damages  for  the  land  flooded  or  taken,  and  also  the  consequential 
damages  to  any  lands  necessary  to  the  use  of  the  lands  taken  or  flooded 
and  owned  by  the  parties  whose  lands  are  taken  and  flooded. 

Section  10465.  Tax  on  gross  revenue.  The  Corporation  Commission 
of  Arkansas  shall  grant  to  any  person  or  corporation  the  right  to  take  and 
use  such  power  described  in  this  act  under  the  following  terms  and  con- 
ditions: Every  person  or  corporation  taking  and  using  said  power  shall 
pay  into  the  treasury  of  the  State  of  Arkansas  for  the  benefit  and  use  of 
the  general  revenue  fund  one-fourth  of  one  per  cent  of  its  annual  gross 
revenue  as  determined  by  the  power  generated  and  sold  for  a  period  of 
ten  years  from  the  time  it  shall  begin  operation,  and  one-half  of  one 
per  cent  of  its  annual  gross  revenue  thereafter. 


118  MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS 

Section  10466.  Right  of  eminent  domain.  In  order  to  enable  such  cor- 
poration to  carry  out  the  purposes  of  this  act,  the  State's  power  of  emi- 
nent domain  is  hereby  conferred  upon  it,  in  so  far  as  it  is  necessary  to 
enable  it  to  condemn  land  overflowed  above  its  dam,  and  to  condemn  lands. 
for  right-of-way  for  viaducts,  and  for  electric  transmission  of  power  gen- 
erated to  points  of  its  utilization.  In  all  cases  where  such  corporation  fails 
to  obtain  by  agreement  with  the  owner  or  owners  of  the  property,  the 
right  to  overflow  such  land  or  lands,  or  the  right-of-way  for  viaducts  and 
electric  transmission  lines,  it  may  apply  to  the  circuit  court  in  the  county 
or  counties  in  which  the  property  is  situated,  by  petition,  to  have  the  dam- 
ages for  such  overflowed  land  or  lands  or  right-of-way  assessed,  giving  the 
owner  or  owners  of  such  property  at  least  ten  days  notice  in  writing  of  the 
time  and  place  where  such  petition  will  be  heard. 

Section  10467.  Notice  to  non-resident  owners.  If  the  owner  or  owners 
of  said  property  be  nonresidents  of  the  State,  such  notice  shall  be  given 
by  publication,  as  provided  in  civil  cases. 

Section  10468.  Guardians  of  minors,  etc.  In  case  proceedings  are 
had  against  infants,  or  persons  of  unsound  mind,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the 
court  to  appoint  a  guardian  ad  litem,  who  shall  represent  their  interests  for 
all  purposes. 

Section  10469.  Petition — description  of  land.  Such  petition  shall,  as 
nearly  as  may  be,  describe  the  lands  to  be  overflowed  or  taken  for  right- 
of-way  for  viaducts  and  electric  transmission  lines,  and  shall  be  sworn  to. 

Section  10470.  Jury.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  court  to  empanel  a 
Jury  of  twelve  men,  as  in  other  civil  cases,  to  ascertain  the  amount  of 
compensation  which  said  corporation  shall  pay,  and  the  matter  shall  pro- 
ceed and  be  determined  as  other  civil  cases. 

Section  10471.  Payment  of  damages.  In  all  cases  where  damages  have 
been  assessed  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  corporation  to  deposit  with  the- 
clerk  of  the  court,  or  to  pay  to  the  owners  the  amount  so  assessed,  and  to 
pay  such  costs  as  may  be  adjudged  against  it,  within  thirty  days  after  such 
assessment  whereupon  it  shall  be  lawful  for  the  said  corporation  to  enter 
upon  said  lands  and  proceed  with  the  work  of  developing  such  water  power. 

Section  10472.  Deposit  to  cover  damages.  When  the  determination  of 
questions  in  controversy  in  such  proceedings  is  likely  to  retard  the  pro- 
gress of  the  work,  the  court,  or  judge  in  vacation,  shall  designate  an 
amount  of  money  to  be  deposited  by  said  corporation,  subject  to  the  order 
of  the  court,  and  for  the  purpose  of  making  said  compensation  when  the 
amount  thereof  shall  have  been  assessed,  as  aforesaid,  and  said  judge  shall 
designate  the  place  of  said  deposit.  Whenever  such  deposit  shall  be  made, 
it  shall  be  lawful  for  the  corporation  to  enter  upon  such  lands  and  to  pro- 
ceed with  its  work  prior  to  the  assessment  and  payment  of  damages 
for  the  use  thereof. 

Section  10473.  Forfeiture  for  failure  to  make  deposit.  In  all  cases 
where  such  corporation  shall  fail  to  pay  or  deposit  the  amount  of  damages 
assessed  as  aforesaid  within  thirty  days  after  such  demand,  it  shall  forfeit 
all  rights  in  the  premises. 

Section  10474.  Commencement  and  completion  of  the  work.  All  char- 
ters and  permits  granted  under  this  act  shall  be  void  unless  construction 
shall  be  begun  within  two  years  from  the  date  of  the  permit,  and  shall  be- 
completed  within  four  years  from  the  date  of  permit. 


Co-Operative  Soil  Survey 

(Act  542,  General  Assembly,  1921) 

An  Act  to  provide  for  co-operative  soil  survey  work  between  the  Federal 
Bureau  of  Soils  and  the  Arkansas   State  Experiment   Station  and  for 
other  purposes. 
Whereas,   the  Federal  Government  makes  an  annual  appropriation  to 

the  Bureau  of  Soils  of  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  for  Soil 

Survey  work,  and 


MINERALS    IN    ARKANSAS  llfr 

Whereas,  said  Bureau  has  offered  and  agreed  to  co-operate  with  the 
State  of  Arkansas  through  the  State  Experiment  Station  in  such  work  and) 
to  furnish  and  pay  expenses  of  men  to  do  such  work  provided  the  State  cani 
furnish  an  equal  number  of  men  to  take  care  of  the  expenses  of  soil 
analysis  and  other  incidental  expenses,  and, 

Whereas,  a  thorough  scientific  soil  survey  is  the  basis  for  further  in- 
vestigation of  soil  need,  maintenance  of  fertility,  and  methods  of  handling 
soils  and  growing  crops,  therefore, 
BE  IT  ENACTED  BY  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY  OF  THE   STATE   OF 

ARKANSAS: 

Section  1.  That  the  Director  of  the  State  Experiment  Station  of  the 
College  of  Agriculture,  University  of  Arkansas,  is  hereby  authorized  to  ex- 
pend such  sums  as  are  hereinafter  provided  and  necessary  for  the  purpose 
of  conducting  a  scientific  investigation  of  the  soils  of  the  counties  of  the 
State  of  Arkansas,  classifying  and  locating  the  different  soils,  surveying 
and  mapping  such  soils,  describing,  analyzing  and  examining  the  same  and 
otherwise  locating  the  various  types  and  kinds  of  soil  in  the  counties  of 
this  State  and  ascertaining  their  constituent  elements  of  plant  food,  their 
plant  food  deficiencies  and  any  other  information  regarding  the  said  soils, 
which  will  be  helpful  to  the  agricultural  interests  of  the  State  and  print- 
ing, publishing,  and  distributing  reports  and  soil  maps  of  the  areas  sur- 
veyed and  such  work  may  be  conducted  in  co-operation  with  the  Bureau  of 
Soils  of  the  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  and  with  the  several 
counties  of  the  State  of  Arkansas. 

Section  2.  The  Director  of  the  State  Experiment  Station  is  hereby- 
authorized  to  employ  competent  assistants  and  soil  survey  men  to  make- 
such  surveys,  to  fix  their  compensation,  to  purchase  necessary  supplies- 
and  equipment,  to  pay  travel  and  such  other  expenses  as  may  be  necessary 
to  carry  out  the  provisions  of  this  Act,  including  cost  of  printing,  publishing 
and  distributing  report  of  such  soil  surveys. 

Section  3.  The  county  courts  and  tax  levying  boards  are  hereby 
authorized  and  empowered  to  make  appropriations  out  of  the  general  revenue 
fund  of  the  county  for  the  purpose  of  co-operating  with  the  State  Experiment 
Station  in  carrying  out  the  provisions  of  this  Act. 

Section  4.  That  there  is  hereby  appropriated  out  of  any  money  in  the 
General  Revenue  Fund  in  the  State  Treasury  the  sum  of  Seven  Thousand 
Five  Hundred  ($7500.00)  dollars  for  the  fiscal  year  from  July  1st.  1021  to 
June  30th,  1922,  inclusive,  and  the  sum  of  Seven  Thousand  Five  Hundred 
($7500.00)  dollars  for  the  fiscal  year  from  July  1st,  1922,  to  June  30th,  1923, 
inclusive,  provided  that  any  balance  remaining  in  the  treasury  from  said 
first  fiscal  year  shall  be  transferred  by  the  treasurer  to  said  second  fiscal 
year  and  may  be  expended  during  said  second  fiscal  period  for  the  same 
purposes. 

Section  5.  All  acts  or  parts  of  acts  in  conflict  with  this  Act  are  hereby 
repealed. 


Soil  surveys  have  been  made  of  sixteen  counties  of  Arkan- 
sas, a  list  of  which  will  be  found  at  the  end  of  this  book.  The 
reports  are  distributed  through  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Soils,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C. 


120  MINERAL  SIN    ARKANSAS 

Mine  Inspection  Law,  Governing 
Operation  of  Mines  in  General 

(Digest  of  the  Statutes  of  Arkansas,  1921) 
MINE   INSPECTOR 

Section  7249.  Appointment — qualifications — salary.  A  mine  inspector 
shall  be  appointed  by  the  Governor  immediately  upon  the  taking  effect  of 
this  act,  who  shall  hold  office  until  the  first  day  of  July,  1919,  and  until 
his  successor  shall  have  been  appointed  and  qualified,  after  which  the  term 
of  each  mine  inspector  shall  begin  on  the  first  day  of  July  of  every  odd 
numbered  year  and  shall  continue  for  two  years,  and  until  his  successor 
is  appointed  and  qualified,  and  all  appointments  shall  be  made  by  the 
Governor  of  the  State,  and  said  mine  inspector  shall  not,  while  holding  office, 
be  connected  with  or  engaged,  directly  or  indirectly,  as  owner,  operator, 
agent  or  director  of  any  coal  mine  or  other  mining  interest.  He  shall  have 
had  eight  years'  actual  experience  as  a  practical  miner.  He  shall  have  an 
office,  which  shall  be  located  in  Fort  Smith,  Ark.,  and  shall  safely  keep 
all  records,  papers,  documents,  and  other  property  pertaining  to  or  coming 
into  his  hands  by  virtue  of  his  office,  and  deliver  same  to  his  successor. 
Said  mine  inspector  shall  receive  as  salary  for  his  services  the  sum  of 
$2000  per  annum. 

Section  7250.  Bond.  The  mine  inspector,  before  entering  upon  the 
duties  of  his  office,  and  within  20  days  after  his  appointment,  shall  make 
and  execute  a  bond  to  the  State  of  Arkansas,  with  one  or  more  sufficient 
sureties,  in  the  sum  of  $5000,  conditioned  upon  the  faithful  performance  of 
his  duties;  same  to  be  approved  by  the  Governor.  When  said  bond  is  so 
approved,  he  shall  also  take  oath  of  office  prescribed  by  the  Constitution; 
and  in  the  event  that  said  mine  inspector  shall  fail  to  make  and  execute 
said  bond  within  the  time  prescribed  by  this  act,  his  appointment  shall  be 
declared  void,  and  it  is  hereby  made  the  duty  of  the  Governor  to  appoint 
and  have  qualified  a  proper  person  in  his  stead,  as  contemplated  by  the 
provisions  of  this  act. 

Section  7251.  Expenses.  Said  mine  inspector  shall  be  allowed  all 
necessary  postage,  stationery  and  other  expenses  of  a  similar  character 
necessary  for  the  transaction  of  the  business  of  the  office;  and  the  said 
salary  and  expenses  shall  be  paid  as  in  the  case  of  other  State  officers. 
In  addition  to  the  salary,  necessary  traveling  expenses  while  in  the  per- 
formance of  the  duties  of  the  office  shall  be  allowed;  but  the  total  expenses, 
in  addition  to  salary  paid,  shall  not  exceed  $1000  per  annum. 

Section  7252.  Inspection  and  reports.  The  mine  inspector  shall  devote 
his  entire  time  to  the  duties  of  the  office.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  mine 
inspector  to  examine  all  mines  as  often  as  necessary,  and  not  less  than  once 
every  three  months;  provided,  however,  that  employes  of  any  mine,  as 
contemplated  by  the  mining  laws  of  this  State,  shall  have  authority  to  'call 
said  mine  inspector  at  any  time  in  cases  of  emergency  for  the  enforcement 
of  the  mining  laws  of  this  State.  Inspections  shall  be  made  of  the  works 
and  machinery  used  or  operated  by  any  mine;  also  the  State  and  condition 
of  the  mines  as  to  ventilation,  circulation  and  condition  of  the  air,  drainage, 
and  the  number  of  accidents,  injuries  or  deaths  occurring  in  or  about  the 
mine,  number  of  persons  employed,  and  the  extent  to  which  the  laws 
relating  to  mines  and  mining  are  observed;  the  progress  made  in  improve- 
ments for  the  safety  and  health  sought  to  be  obtained  by  the  provisions  of 
the  mining  laws  of  this  State,  together  with  all  other  such  facts  and  in- 
formation of  public  interest  concerning  the  conditions  of  mine  development 
and  progress  in  this  State  as  may  be  deemed  useful  and  proper-  and  to  keep 
a  complete  record  of  same,  which  shall  be  included  in  the  mine  inspector's 
annual  report  to  the  Governor.  Should  the  mine  inspector  find  any  viol- 
ations of  the  mining  laws  of  this  State  by  any  owner,  lessee  or  agent  in 
charge  of  any  mine,  notice  shall  immediately  be  given  to  such  owner 
lessee  or  agent  in  charge  of  such  mine  of  the  neglect  or  violation  thereof 
and  unless  the  same  is,  within  a  reasonable  time,  rectified,  the  mine  in- 
spector shall  institute  a  prosecution  under  the  laws  of  the  State  as  here- 


MINERALS    IN    ARKANSAS  121 

inafter  provided.  If  the  said  mine  inspector  find  any  matter,  thing  or 
practice  in  or  connected  with  a  mine  to  be  dangerous  or  defective,  which 
makes  it  unsafe  for  persons  employed  therein,  notice  in  writing  thereof 
to  the  owner,  lessee  or  agent  of  such  dangerous  or  unsafe  condition  shall 
be  given,  and  the  said  conditions  shall,  by  the  said  owner,  lessee  or  agent 
be  remedied  without  unnecessary  delay.  For  the  purpose  of  making  the 
inspection  and  examination  as  contemplated  by  this  act,  the  mine  inspector 
shall  have  the  right  to  enter  any  mine  at  any  reasonable  time,  by  day  or 
night,  but  in  such  manner  as  shall  not  necessarily  obstruct  the  workings  of 
said  mine,  and  the  owner,  lessee  or  agent  is  hereby  required  to  furnish  the 
means  necessary  for  such  entry  and  inspection.  The  inspection  and  ex- 
amination, as  contemplated  by  this  act,  shall  extend  to  all  coal  mines 
where  the  same  are  operated  by  shaft,  slope  or  drift. 

Section  7253.  Owners  to  facilitate  examinations.  The  owner,  agent 
or  operator  of  such  mine  is  required  to  furnish  all  necessary  facilities  for 
entering  and  making  such  examinations  and  inspection,  and  if  the  owner, 
agent  or  operator  aforesaid  shall  refuse  to  permit  such  inspection,  or  to 
furnish  the  necessary  facilities  for  entering  and  making  such  examinations 
and  inspections  the  inspector  shall  file  his  affidavit,  setting  forth  such  re- 
fusal before  the  judge  of  the  circuit  court  in  the  county  in  which  said  mine 
is  located,  and  said  judge  of  said  court  is  granted  the  power  to  issue  an 
order,  commanding  said  owner,  agent  or  operator  to  appear  before  said 
judge  at  chambers  or  before  the  circuit  court  to  show  cause  why  he 
refuses  to  permit  said  inspection  or  furnish  the  necessary  facilities  for 
entering  and  making  said  examinations;  and,  upon  hearing,  the  judge 
of  the  court  shall  have  the  power  to  fine  such  agent,  owner  or  operator  in 
any  sum  not  less  than  $50. 

Section  7254.  Complaint — duties  of  judge.  If  the  said  inspector  shall, 
after  examination  of  any  mine  and  the  works  and  machinery  pertaining 
thereto,  find  the  same  worked  contrary  to  the  provisions  of  this  act, 
or  unsafe  for  the  workmen  employed  therein,  the  said  inspector  shall  file 
a  complaint  before  the  judge  of  the  circuit  court  in  vacation  or  the  circuit 
court  when  in  session,  in  the  name  of  the  State,  without  cost  or  bond,  show- 
ing wherein  the  said  owner,  agent  or  operator  has  failed  to  comply  with  the 
provisions  of  this  act,  and  the  said  court  or  judge,  after  hearing  the  cause, 
shall,  if  satisfied  the  law  has  not  been  complied  with,  restrain  or  enjoin  the 
said  owner,  agent  or  operator  from  operating  the  said  mine  until  the 
law  is  complied  with.  In  all  proceedings  before  the  said  court  or  judge,  the 
owner,  agent  or  operator  shall  have  two  days'  notice  of  the  intended  appli- 
cation for  restraining  order,  and  the  judge  of  the  court  shall  hear  the 
complaint  on  affidavits  or  other  testimony  that  may  be  offered  in  support, 
as  well  as  in  opposition  thereto,  and,  if  sufficient  cause  appear,  the  court 
or  judge  in  vacation  by  order  shall  prohibit  the  further  workings  of  any 
such  mine  in  which  persons  may  not  be  safely  employed  or  which  is 
worked  contrary  to  the  provisions  of  this  act  until  the  same  has  been 
made  safe  and  the  requirements  of  this  act  shall  have  been  complied  with, 
and  the  court  shall  award  such  costs  in  the  matter  of  said  proceedings  as 
may  be  just,  but  any  such  proceedings  so  commenced  shall  be  without 
prejudice  to  any  other  remedy  permitted  by  law  for  enforcing  the  provisions 
of  this  act. 

D  State  vs.  Southern  Anthracite  Coal  Mining  Co.,  13  Ark.  593. 
Section  7255.  Arrests — proceedings.  The  mine  inspector  is  hereby 
empowered  concurrently  with  the  sheriffs  and  constables  throughout  the 
State  to  make  (arrests)  for  any  violations  of  the  mining  laws  of  the  State, 
but  he  shall  make  no  arrests  until  after  notice  has  been  given  as  provided 
In  this  act.  Where,  in  the  opinion  of  the  mine  inspector,  there  is  Im- 
minent danger  to  the  life  or  health  of  the  miners  or  employees  in  said  mine 
said  inspector  shall  at  once  notify  the  person  in  charge  of  or  operating  said 
mine  in  which  the  dangerous  condition  exists  to  immediately  remove  said 
danger,  and,  on  failure  to  remove  said  dangerous  condition  without  un- 
necessary delay,  said  inspector  shall  order  the  mine,  or  dangerous  portion 
thereof,  cleared  of  all  persons  except  those  necessary  to  remove  or  remedy 
said  dangerous  condition.  Upon  the  clearing  of  any  mine  of  persons  em- 


122  MINERALS    IN    ARKANSAS 

ployed  therein,  as  herein  provided,  any  owner,  lessee  or  agent  in  charge 
of  or  operating  any  such  mine  may  apply  to  the  chancery  court  within  the 
jurisdiction  of  said  mine  for  a  writ  of  injunction  to  enjoin  the  mine 
inspector  from  continuing  the  prevention  of  the  operation  of  said  mine. 
Whereupon  the  chancellor  of  said  court,  either  in  term  or  vacation,  shall 
at  once  proceed  to  hear  and  determine  the  case,  and  if  the  cause  appears 
to  be  sufficient  after  hearing  the  parties  and  their  evidence,  as  in  like  cases, 
the  chancellor  shall  sustain  or  overrule  tha  mine  inspector. 

(Section  7256,  Obstructing  inspection — penalty.  Any  person  who  shall 
wilfully  obstruct  or  hinder  the  mine  inspector  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties, 
and  every  owner,  lessee  or  agent,  or  manager  of  a  mine  who  shall  refuse 
or  neglect  to  furnish  the  mine  inspector  the  means  necessary  for  making 
entry,  inspection,  examination  or  inquiry  under  the  mining  laws  of  this 
State,  shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor,  and  upon  conviction  shall 
be  punished  as  hereinafter  provided.  Should  the  mine  inspector  wilfully 
fail  or  refuse  to  perform  any  of  the  duties  required  under  the  provisions 
of  the  mining  laws  of  this  State,  he  shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor, 
and  upon  conviction  shall  be  fined  in  a  sum  not  less  than  one  hundred  dol- 
lars nor  more  than  one  thousand  dollars,  and,  upon  a  second  conviction 
for  such  failure  or  refusal,  shall  be  removed  from  office  by  the  Governor, 
and  his  successor  appointed  within  thirty  days  from  the  date  of  such  re- 
moval. Any  owner,  or  agent,  lessee,  or  other  person  convicted  of  the 
violation  of  any  of  the  provisions  of  the  mining  laws  of  this  State  or  failing 
in  any  manner  to  comply  therewith  shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  a  mis- 
demeanor and  upon  conviction  shall  be  fined  in  any  sum  not  less  than 
fifty  dollars  nor  more  than  five  hundred  dollars  except  where  provisions  of 
the  mining  laws  otherwise  provide  penalties.  Each  day  any  such  violation 
or  failure  shall  continue  on  the  part  of  any  owner,  agent,  lessee,  or  other 
person  shall  be  deemed  as  a  separate  offense.  Provided,  that  the  provisions  of 
this  act  do  not  apply  to  coal  mines  where  less  than  ten  men  are  employed 
underground  in  twenty-four  hours. 

Section  7257.  Duty  of  prosecuting  attorney.  It  shall  be  and  is  hereby 
made  the  duty  of  the  prosecuting  attorney  in  the  district  wherein  the  mine 
inspector  shall  arrest  or  cause  to  be  arrested  any  person  or  persons 
violating  the  provisions  of  the  mining  laws  of  the  State  to  at  once  take 
charge  of  and  prosecute  the  same  with  reasonable  diligence. 

Section  7258.  Construction.  This  act  shall  not  repeal  any  of  the 
mining  laws  of  the  State,  except  wherein  it  specifically  conflicts,  but  shall 
be  cumulative  to  all  mining  laws  now  in  force. 

Section  7559.  Non-performance  of  duty  of  inspector.  Any  inspector 
who  shall  wilfully  fail  or  refuse  to  perform  any  of  the  duties  required  of 
him  by  the  provisions  of  this  act  shall  be  punished  by  a  fine  of  not  less 
than  one  hundred  dollars,  and,  upon  third  conviction  for  any  such  failure 
or  refusal,  he  shall  be  removed  from  office,  and  any  other  person  convicted 
of  a  violation  of  any  provision  of  this  act,  or  failing  in  any  manner  to  com- 
ply therewith,  except  such  provision  for  which  punishment  has  already 
hereinbefore  been  fixed,  shall  be  punished  by  a  fine  of  not  less  than  twenty- 
five  dollars;  and  each  day  any  such  violation  or  failure  shall  constitute  a 
separate  offense;  provided,  the  provisions  of  this  act  do  not  apply  to  mines 
when  less  than  ten  men  are  employed  underground  in  twenty-four  hours. 

Section  7260.  (Amended).  Furnishing  map  or  plans.  The  owner, 
agent  or  operator  of  each  and  every  coal  mine  in  this  State  shall  make,  or 
cause  to  be  made,  an  accurate  and  correct  map  or  plan  of  the  entire  work- 
ings of  said  mine,  and  every  vein  or  deposit  thereof,  showing  the  general 
inclination  of  the  strata  together  with  any  material  deflections  in  the  said 
workings,  and  the  boundary  lines  of  said  mine,  and  deposit  a  true  copy  of 
said  map  or  plan  with  the  Clerk  of  the  County  Court  of  each  County  wherein 
said  mine  or  any  part  thereof  may  be  located,  and  the  same  shall  be  so 
deposited  during  the  month  of  January  of  each  and  every  year  hereafter, 
and  such  owner,  agent  or  operator  shall  file  a  copy  of  said  map  or  plan 
with  the  Mine  Inspector  during  the  month  of  January  of  each  year  and 
shall  also  keep  a  copy  of  same  open  for  inspection  at  the  office  of  such 
owner,  agent  or  operator,  and  shall  furnish  said  clerk  and  inspector  with  a 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  12?. 

sworn  statement  and  further  map  or  plan  of  the  progress  of  the  workings 
of  such  mine  from  the  date  of  the  last  report  to  the  ending  December  next 
preceding  the  making  of  same,  and  the  inspector  shall  correct  his  map  or 
plan  in  accordance  therewith,  and  when  any  mine  is  worked  out  or  abandoned 
that  fact  shall  be  reported  to  the  inspector  without  delay,  and  the  map  or 
plan  in  the  office  of  the  clerk  aforesaid  shall  be  corrected  and  verified  to 
conform  to  the  facts  then  existing. 

All  mine  maps  or  plans  aforesaid  must  show  the  location  of  doors 
overcast  or  air  bridges,  and  the  direction  all  air  currents  are  traveling  shall 
be  indicated  thereon  by  arrows.  The  Clerk  of  the  County  Court  in  which 
mines  are  located,  shall  file  and  safely  keep  all  maps  and  plans  of  any 
mine  deposited  in  his  office,  and  same  shall  be  recorded  as  maps  and 
plans  of  town  sites  are  now  recorded.  The  Mine  Inspector  shall  send 
maps  and  plans  of  mines  in  his  possession  to  the  Secretary  of  State  for 
safekeeping  at  the  end  of  every  two  years,  during  the  month  of  July,  and 
said  mine  maps  and  plans  shall  be  kept  in  a  vault  for  this  special  purpose 
for  the  guidance  of  anyone  interested  therein. 

Section  7261.  (Amended).  Instruction  to  make  map  or  plan.  That 
the  owner,  agent  or  operator  of  any  mine  neglecting,  failing  or  refusing  to> 
furnish  said  Inspector  and  County  Clerk,  a  statement,  map  or  plan  or  ad- 
dition thereto  at  the  time,  and  in  the  manner  provided  above  shall  be  deem- 
ed guilty  of  a  misdemeanor  and  on  conviction  thereof  shall  be  fined  in  any 
sum  not  less  than  $100.00  nor  more  than  $500.00  and  each  day  such  neglect,, 
failure  or  refusal  shall  continue  shall  constitute  a  separate  offense.  This 
penalty  shall  be  in  addition  to  the  rights  now  conferred  upon  the  Mine  In- 
spector by  law  to  have  said  maps  or  plans  made  at  the  expense  of  the 
owner,  agent,  or  operator.  This  Act  shall  not  be  construed  as  repealing 
any  law  now  in  effect  except  where  same  shall  be  in  direct  conflict  here- 
with,  and  this  act  shall  be  cumulative  to  existing  laws  regulating  mines. 

Section  7262.  Escapement  shaft.  In  all  mines  that  are  or  have  been 
in  operation  prior  to  the  first  day  of  January,  1893,  and  which  are  worked 
by  and  through  a  shaft,  slope  or  drift,  if  there  is  not  already  an  escape- 
ment shaft  to  each  and  every  such  mine  or  communication  between  each 
and  every  mine  and  some  other  contiguous  mine,  then  there  shall  be  an 
escapement  shaft  or  other  communication  such  as  shall  be  approved  by 
the  mine  inspector,  making  at  least  two  distinct  means  of  ingress  and: 
egress,  for  all  persons  employed  or  permitted  to  work  in  such  mines.  Such 
escapement  shaft  or  other  communication  with  a  contiguous  mine  afore- 
said shall  be  constructed  in  connection  with  every  vein  or  stratum  of  coal 
in  such  mine  and  the  time  to  be  allowed  for  such  construction 
shall  not  exceed  ninety  days  from  the  time  this  act  takes  effect, 
and  such  escapment  shaft  or  other  communication  with  contiguous 
mines  aforesaid  shall  be  constructed  in  a  shorter  time  than  ninety 
days,  if  within  the  discretion  of  the  inspector  it  becomes 
necessary,  and  in  all  cases  where  the  working  force  of  one  mine  has  been 
driven  up  or  into  the  workings  of  another  mine,  respective  owners  of  such 
mines  while  operating  the  same  shall  keep  open  a  roadway  not  less  than 
six  feet  wide  nor  less  than  three  feet  high,  thereby  forming  a  communica- 
tion as  contemplated  by  this  act,  and  for  the  failure  to  do  so  shall  be  subject 
to  the  penalty  provided  for  in  Section  7253,  for  each  and  every  day  such 
roadway  is  unnecessarily  closed;  each  and  every  escapement  shaft  shall 
be  separated  from  the  main  shaft  by  such  extent  of  natural  strata  as  shall 
secure  safety  to  the  men  employed  in  such  mines,  not  less  than  one  hun- 
dred feet,  in  all  mines  that  shall  go  into  operation  for  the  first  time  after 
the  first  day  of  January  1893;  such  an  escapement  or  other  communication 
with  a  contiguous  mine,  as  aforesaid,  shall  be  constructed  within  ninety 
days  after  such  mine  shall  have  been  put  into  operation,  or  within  a  shorter 
time  if  in  the  descretion  of  the  inspector  it  becomes  necessary;  and  it 
shall  not  be  lawful  for  the  owner,  agent  or  operator  of  any  such  mine  as 
aforesaid  to  employ  any  person  to  work  therein  or  permit  any  person  to  go 
therein  for  the  purpose  of  working  except  such  persons  as  may  be  neces- 
sary to  construct  such  escapement  shaft,  unless  the  requirements  of  this 
section  shall  first  have  been  complied  with.  And  the  term  "owner,"  as 
used  in  this  act,  shall  mean  the  immediate  proprietor,  lessee  or  occupant  of 


124  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

any  mine  or  any  part  thereof  and  the  term  "agent,"  shall  mean  any  per- 
son having  on  behalf  of  the  owner,  the  care  or  management  of  any  mine  or 
part  thereof;  provided,  nothing  in  this  section  shall  be  construed  to  ex- 
tend the  time  allowed  by  law  for  constructing  escapement  shaft. 

Section  7263.  Ventilation.  The  owner,  agent  or  operator  of  every 
mine,  whether  operated  by  shaft,  slope  or  drift,  shall  provide  and  maintain 
for  every  such  mine  a  sufficient  amount  of  ventilation,  to  be  determined  by 
the  inspector,  not  less  than  one  hundred  cubic  feet  of  air  per  man  per 
minute,  measured  at  the  foot  of  the  downcast,  which  shall  be  circulated  to 
the  face  of  every  working  place  throughout  the  mine,  so  that  said  mine 
shall  be  free  from  standing  gas  of  whatsoever  kind.  In  all  mines  where  fire 
damp  is  generated  every  working  place  where  fire  damp  is  known  to  exist 
shall  be  examined  every  morning  with  a  safety  lamp  by  a  competent 
person  before  any  other  persons  are  allowed  to  enter.  The  ventilation 
required  by  this  section  may  be  produced  by  any  suitable  appliance,  but  in 
case  a  furnace  shall  be  used  for  ventilating  purposes,  it  shall  be  built  in 
such  a  manner  as  to  prevent  the  communication  of  fire  to  any  other  part 
of  the  works  by  lining  the  upcast  with  incombustible  material  for  a  suf- 
ficient distance  from  said  furnace. 

Section  7264.  Bore-hole.  The  owner,  agent  or  operator  shall  provide 
that  a  bore  hole  shall  be  kept  twenty  feet  in  advance  of  the  face  of  each 
and  every  working  place,  and  if  necessary  on  both  sides  when  driving 
toward  an  abandoned  mine,  or  a  part  of  a  mine  suspected  of  containing 
inflammable  gases  or  to  be  inundated  with  water. 

Section  7265.  Means  of  signalling — cages.  The  owner,  agent  or  opera- 
tor of  every  mine,  operated  by  shaft,  shall  provide  suitable  means  for  the 
signalling  between  the  bottom  and  top  thereof;  and  shall  also  provide  safe 
means  of  hoisting  and  lowering  persons  in  a  cage,  covered  with  boiler 
iron,  so  as  to  keep  safe  as  far  as  possible  persons  descending  into  or 
ascending  out  of  said  mine;  and  such  cage  shall  be  furnished  with  guides 
to  conduct  it  through  slides  through  such  shaft  with  sufficient  brake  on 
every  drum,  to  prevent  accident  in  case  of  the  giving  out  or  breaking  of 
the  machinery;  and  such  cage  shall  be  furnished  with  spring  catches,  in- 
tended and  provided,  so  far  as  possible,  to  prevent  the  consequences  of 
cable  breaking  or  the  loosening  or  disconnecting  of  the  machinery;  and  no 
props  or  rails  shall  be  lowered  in  the  cage  while  men  are  descending  into 
or  ascending  out  of  said  mine;  that  when  men  are  ascending  or  descending, 
the  opposite  cage  in  every  case  shall  be  empty. 

Section  7266.  Age  of  minors — management  of  cages.  No  person  un- 
der the  age  of  fourteen  years,  or  female  of  any  ?,ge,  shall  be  permitted  to 
enter  any  mine  to  work  therein;  nor  shall  any  boy  under  the  age  of  sixteen 
years,  unless  he  can  read  and  write,  be  allowed  to  work  in  any  mine,  and 
no  owner,  agent  or  operator  of  any  mine  operated  by  a  shaft  or  slope  shall 
place  in  charge  on  any  engine  whereby  men  are  lowered  into  or  hoisted 
out  of  the  mines  by  any  but  an  experienced,  competent  and  sober  person, 
not  under  18  years  of  age,  and  no  person  shall  be  permitted  to  ride  upon  a 
loaded  cage  or  wagon  used  for  hoisting  purposes  in  any  shaft  or  slope  ex- 
cept persons  employed  for  that  purpose,  and  in  no  case  shall  more  than 
eight  persons  ride  in  any  cage  or  car  at  any  one  time,  nor  shall  any  coal 
"be  hoisted  out  of  any  mine  while  any  person  or  persons  are' descending 
into  such  mine,  and  in  no  case  shall  more  than  one  of  the  same  family 
ascend  or  descend  into  any  mine  in  one  cage  at  one  time,  nor  shall  they 
be  lowered  or  hoisted  more  rapidly  than  500  feet  per,  minute. 

Section  7267.  Gates,  bonnets  and  safety  appliances...  The  owner, 
agent  or  operator  shall  cause  every  landing  on  a  level  or  above  the  surface 
of  the  ground,  and  the  entrance  to  each  intermediate  vein  (to  be)  securely 
fenced  by  gate  and  a  bonnet  so  prepared  to  cover  and  protect  such  shaft 
and  the  entrances  thereto,  and  the  entrance  to  every  abandoned  slope, 
air  or  other  shaft  shall  be  securely  fenced  off,  and  every  steam  boiler  shall 
be  provided  with  proper  steam  gauge,  water  gauge  and  safety-valve  and 
all  underground  self-acting  or  engine  plains  or  gangways  on  which  cars 
are  drawn  and  persons  allowed  to  travel  shall  be  provided  with  some 
proper  means  of  signaling  between  stopping  places  and  the  end  of  such 
plains  or  gangways,  and  sufficient  places  of  refuge  at  the  side  of  such 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  125 

plains  or  gangways  shall  be  provided  at  intervals  not  more  than  thirty  feet 
apart. 

Section  7268.  Report  of  accidents — investigations.  Whenever  loss  of 
life  or  serious  personal  injury  shall  occur  by  reason  of  an  explosion  or  of 
any  accident  whatever  in  or  about  any  mine,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the 
person  having  charge  of  such  mine  to  report  the  facts  thereof  without  de- 
lay to  the  mine  inspector,  and,  if  any  person  is  killed  thereby,  to  notify 
the  coroner  or  some  justice  of  the  peace  of  said  county,  and  it  shall  be 
the  duty  of  the  inspector  to  investigate  and  ascertain  the  cause  of  said  ex- 
plosion, and  file  a  report  thereof  with  the  other  records  of  his  office;  and, 
to  enable  him  to  make  such  investigations,  he  shall  have  power  to  compel 
attendance  of  witnesses,  and  take  depositions,  administer  oaths,  and  the 
cost  of  the  examination  shall  be  paid  by  the  county  as  costs  of  coroner's 
inquests  are  now  paid,  and  the  failure  of  the  person  in  charge  of  the  mine 
where  the  accident  occurred  to  give  the  inspector  notice  thereof  shall  be 
a  misdemeanor. 

Section  7269.  Right  of  action  for  injury.  For  any  injury  to  persons 
or  property  occasioned  by  wilful  violation  of  this  act,  or  wilful  failure  to 
comply  with  any  of  its  provisions,  a  right  of  action  shall  accrue  to  the 
party  injured  for  any  direct  damages  sustained  thereby;  provided  should 
death  ensue  from  such  an  injury,  a  cause  of  action  shall  survive  in  favor, 
first,  of  the  widow  and  minor  children  of  such  deceased;  if  there  be  no 
widow  nor  minor  children,  then  to  the  father  if  living,  then  to  the  mother; 
if  no  mother,  then  to  the  brothers  and  sisters  and  their  descendants. 

Section  7270.  Injury  to  appliances — penalty.  Any  miner,  workman  or 
other  person  who  shall  knowingly  injure  any  water-gauge,  barometer,  air 
course  or  brattice,  or  shall  obstruct  or  throw  open  any  air  way,  or  carry 
any  lighted  lamps  or  matches  into  places  that  are  worked  by  safety  lamps 
or  shall  handle  or  disturb  any  part  of  the  machinery  of  the  hoisting  en- 
gine, or  open  a  door  to  a  mine,  and  not  have  the  same  closed  again,  where- 
by danger  is  produced,  either  to  the  mine  or  those  who  work  therein;  'or 
who  shall  enter  any  part  of  the  mine  against  caution,  or  who  shall  disobey 
an  order  given  in  pursuance  of  this  act,  or  who  shall  do  any  wilful  act 
whereby  the  lives  and  health  of  persons  working  in  the  mine,  or  the 
security  of  the  mine,  or  miners,  or  the  machinery  thereof  is  endangered, 
shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor,  and  upon  conviction  thereof,  shall 
be  punished  by  a  fine  or  imprisonment  at  the  discretion  of  the  court. 

Section  7271.  Prop  timbers.  The  owner,  agent  or  operator  of  any 
mine  shall  keep  a  sufficient  amount  of  timber  when  required  to  be  used 
as  props,  so  that  the  workmen  can  at  all  times  be  able  to  properly  secure 
the  said  workings  from  caving  in,  and  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  owner, 
agent  or  operator  to  send  down  all  such  props  when  required  and  deliver 
said  props  to  the  place  where  cars  are  delivered. 

Section  7272.  Duties  of  weighman  and  checkman.  The  weighman  em- 
ployed at  any  mine  shall,  before  entering  upon  his  duties,  take  and  sub- 
scribe an  oath,  or  affirmation,  before  some  proper  officer,  to  do  justice 
between  employer  and  employee,  and  to  weigh  the  output  from  the  mine 
honestly  and  correctly.  The  miners  engaged  in  working  any  mine  shall 
have  the  privilege,  if  they  so  desire,  of  selecting,  by  a  majority  vote,  and 
employing,  at  their  own  expense,  a  check  weighman,  who  shall  in  like  man- 
ner take  an  oath,  and  who  shall  have  like  rights,  powers,  and  privileges, 
in  attending  and  seeing  that  the  coal  is  correctly  weighed,  and  who 
shall  be  subject  to  the  same  penalties  as  the  regular  weighman,  and  each 
of  such  weighman  shall  keep  account  of  all  coal  weighed  at  the  mines,  In 
a  well  bound  book  kept  for  that  purpose.  Such  oath  or  affirmation  shall  be 
kept  posted  in  a  conspicuous  place  in  the  weigh  office  and  every  owner,  agent 
or  operator  of  any  coal  mine  in  this  state  shall  keep  a  correct  account  of 
the  output  of  coal  at  his  mine  in  a  well  bound  book  kept  for  that  purpose, 
therein  showing  the  amount  of  coal  mined  in  each  day,  in  each  month  and" 
In  each  year,  and  such  account  shall  be  kept  in  the  general  office  in  this 
State  of  such  owner,  agent  or  operator  .subject  at  all  times  to  the  inspec- 
tion of  the  inspector,  and  if  the  mine  be  leased,  subject  also  to  the  inspec- 
tion of  the  owner  of  the  mine,  his  agent  or  attorney. 

Section  7273.     Scales  and  measures.    It  shall  be  the  duty  of  every  cor- 


126  MINERALS  IN  ARKANSAS 

poration,  company  or  person  engaged  in  the  business  of  mining  and  selling 
coal  by  weight  or  measure,  and  employing  ten  or  more  persons,  to  procure 
and  constantly  keep  on  hand  at  the  proper  place  the  necessary  scales  and 
measures  and  whatever  else  may  be  necessary  to  correctly  weigh  and 
measure  the  coal  mined  by  such  corporation,  company  or  person  and  it 
shall  be  the  duty  of  the  mine  inspector  to  visit  each  coal  mine  operated 
•therein,  and  where  such  scales  and  measures  are  kept  at  least  once  in  each 
year,  and  test  the  correctness  of  such  scales  and  measures.  The  owner  or 
-operator  of  each  coal  mine,  or  any  two  or  more  of  the  miners  working  there- 
in, may,  in  writing,  require  his  attendance  at  the  place  where  such  scales 
and  measures  are  kept  at  other  times  in  order  to  test  the  correctness  there- 
of, and  it  shall  be  his  duty  to  comply  with  such  request  as  soon  as  he  can 
.after  receiving  such  request. 

Section  7274.  Testing  weights.  Every  agent,  owner,  lessee  or  oper- 
ator engaged  in  mining  coal  in  any  quantity,  where  ten  or  more  men  are 
worked  underground,  shall  furnish  and  keep  on  hand  for  the  use  of  the  State 
Mine  inspector,  for  inspecting,  testing  and  examining  scales,  five  hundred 
pounds  of  United  States  testing  weights. 

Section  7275.  Penalty.  Any  corporation  or  person  violating  any  of  the 
provisions  of  this  section  shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor,  and 
upon  conviction  thereof  shall,  for  each  offense,  be  fined  not  less  than  twen- 
ty-five dollars  and  not  more  than  five  hundred  dollars;  and  the  officers, 
agents  or  employees  of  the  corporation  or  company  whose  duty  it  was  to 
•do  or  perform  the  act,  or  to  cause  it  to  be  done  and  performed,  which  is  the 
subject  of  the  indictment,  may  be  indicted  jointly  with  said  corporation  or 
company,  and  upon  conviction  thereof  be  fined  in  any  sum  not  less  than 
twenty-five  dollars  nor  more  than  five  hundred  dollars. 

Section  7276.  Coal  not  screened  until  weighed — exception.  It  shall  be 
unlawful  for  any  mine  owner,  lessee  or  operator  of  coal  mines  in  this  State, 
where  ten  or  more  men  are  employed  underground,  employing  miners  at 
bushel  or  ton  rates,  or  other  quantity,  to  pass  the  output  of  coal  mined  by 
said  miners  over  any  screen  or  any  other  device  which  shall  take  any  part 
from  the  value  thereof  before  same  shall  have  been  weighed  and  duly 
•credited  to  the  employee  sending  the  same  to  the  surface  ,and  accounted 
for  at  the  legal  rate  of  weights  as  fixed  by  the  laws  of  Arkansas,  and  no 
employee  within  the  meaning  of  this  act  shall  be  deemed  to  have  waived 
any  right  accruing  to  him  under  this  section  by  any  contract  he  may  make 
-contrary  to  the  provisions  thereof,  and  any  provision,  contract,  or  agree- 
ment between  the  mine  owners,  lessees  or  operators  thereof,  and  the  miners 
employed  therein  whereby  the  provisions  of  this  act  are  waived,  modified 
or  annulled,  shall  be  void  and  of  no  effect,  and  the  coal  sent  to  the  sur- 
face shall  be  accepted  or  rejected;  and,  if  accepted,  shall  be  weighed  in 
accordance  with  the  provisions  of  this  act,  and  the  right  of  action  shall 
not  be  invalidated  by  reason  of  any  contract  or  agreement;  provided, 
that  in  Cane  Creek,  River  and  Logan  townships  in  Logan  county,  and  in 
all  of  Johnson  county  except  Grant  township,  all  the  coal  mined  and  paid 
for  by  weight  may  be  paid  for  on  the  mine  run  basis, 
or  upon  the  screen  coal  basis,  which  shall  be  a  matter 
for  agreement  between  the  operators  and  the  miners.  Provided, 
further,  that  if  any  coal  shall  be  mined  on  the  screen  coal  basis  it  shall  pass 
over  the  following  kind  of  screen,  to-wit:  The  screen  shall  not  be  more 
than  four  feet  wide  and  not  more  than  twelve  feet  long,  made  of  steel  or 
iron  bars  which  shall  not  be  less  than  five-eighths  of  an  inch  in  thickness 
on  the  face  and  not  less  than  five-sixteenths  of  an  inch  in  thickness  on 
the  bottom  and  not  less  than  1%  of  an  inch  shall  be  supported  by  rests  or 
cross  bars.  It  shall  in  no  event  be  placed  more  than  three  feet  apart. 
The  screen  bars  shall  be  placed  upon  rests  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  prevent  spreading  and  said  rests  or  cross  bars  shall 
be  firmly  fastened  to  each  side  of  the  chute  through  which  the  coal  passes. 
Said  rests  or  cross  bars  shall  be  so  arranged  as  in  no  case  to  rise  above 
the  top  of  the  screen  bars  in  such  a  manner  as  to  retard  the  speed  of  the 
coal  in  passing  over  the  screen.  Where  coal  is  screened  before  it  is 
weighed,  it  shall  be  dumped  upon  bat  sheets  and  passed  over  the  screen  as 
described  above,  and  there  shall  be  no  obstruction  on  said  screens, 


MINERALS  IN  ARKANSAS  127 

Any  owner,  agent,  lessee  or  operator  of  any  coal  mine  in  this  State 
where  ten  or  more  men  are  employed  under  ground,  who  shall  knowingly 
violate  any  of  the  provisions  of  this  section,  shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  a 
misdemeanor,  and  upon  conviction  shall  be  punished  by  a  fine  of  not  less 
than  two  hundred  dollars  nor  more  than  five  hundred  dollars  for  each 
offense,  or,  by  imprisonment  in  the  county  jail  for  a  period  of  not  less  than 
sixty  days  nor  more  than  six  months,  or  both  such  fine  and  imprisonment; 
and  each  day  any  mine  or  mines  are  operated  thereafter  shall  be  a  separate 
and  distinct  offense;  proceedings  to  be  instituted  in  any  court  having  com- 
petent jurisdiction. 

Section  7277.  Room  and  pillar  plan — regulation.  The  owner,  agent, 
lessee,  or  operator  of  any  coal  mine  in  this  State,  if  said  mine  is  worked 
on  the  room  and  pillar  plan,  shall  cause  such  work  to  be  prosecuted  in 
such  mine  in  the  following  manner,  to-wit:  Two  entries  parallel  with  each 
other  must  be  driven  for  the  ingress  and  egress  of  the  air,  and  cross  cuts 
must  be  made  at  intervals  not  to  exceed  forty  feet  apart.  Where  gas  ex- 
ists they  shall  be  driven  thirty  feet  apart,  or  a  cross  cut  be  made  at  any 
other  place  ordered  by  the  management  to  do  so.  No  room  shall  be  turned 
inside  the  last  course  cut. 

Section  7278.  Enforcement.  The  State  Mine  Inspector  shall,  after  the 
passage  of  this  act,  give  notice  in  writing  to  the  owner,  agent,  lessee  or 
operator  in  charge  of  each  coal  mine  worked  on  the  room  and  pillar  plan,  to 
conform  to  the  requirements  hereinbefore  set  out,  and  if  the  same  are  not 
complied  with  in  such  mines  as  work  ten  or  more  men  underground,  the 
such  owner,  agent,  lessee,  or  operator  so  failing  shall  be  deemed  guilty  of 
a  misdemeanor,  and,  on  conviction,  be  fined  not  less  than  ten  or  more  than 
fifty  dollars  for  each  day  in  which  such  mine  is  operated  in  violation  of 
the  above  requirements. 

Section  7279.  Daily  Inspection.  In  all  mines  where  a  fire  boss  is  em- 
ployed, all  working  places  and  worked-out  places  adjacent  to  the  working 
places  shall  be  examined,  when  it  can  be  done,  at  least  once  a  day  by  a 
competent  fire  boss,  whose  duty  it  shall  be  to  enter  a  report  of  existing 
conditions  of  such  working  places  and  worked-out  places  in  a  well-bound 
book,  to  be  kept  by  him  for  that  purpose,  and  all  dangerous  places  that  are 
marked  out  shall  be  marked  on  a  blackboard,  furnished  by  the  company, 
before  any  other  employee  enters  the  mine. 

Section  7280.  Lard  oil  for  lighting.  Nothing  but  pure  lard  oil,  where 
oil  is  used  for  lighting  purposes,  shall  be  used  in  any  underground  works, 
except  in  the  main  upcast.  This  section  shall  not  apply  to  rope  riders. 

Section  7281.  Emergency  supplies.  There  shall  be  kept  in  the  engine 
room,  or  at  some  nearby  and  convenient  place,  at  each  mine  working  ten 
or  more  men  underground,  a  supply  of  oils,  bandages,  blankets  or  covers 
for  wraps,  and  a  cot  or  stretcher,  for  use  of  and  to  be  used  by  persons  who 
may  receive  injuries  in  or  at  said  mines,  and  the  owner,  agent,  lessee,  or 
operator  shall  also  provide  and  maintain  at  some  convenient  place  a  con- 
veyance in  which  to  take  from  the  mines  to  their  place  of  abode,  persons 
who  may  be  thus  injured. 

Section  7282.  Annual  report  of  coal  mined.  Each  and  every  owner, 
agent,  lessee,  or  operator  operating  a  coal  mine  in  this  State  shall  annually, 
on  the  1st  day  of  July  of  each  year,  make  a  report,  under  oath,  upon 
blank  forms  to  be  furnished  by  the  State  Mine  Inspector,  of  the  true 
amount  of  coal  mined  each  and  every  month  for  twelve  months  next  pre- 
ceeding  the  making  of  said  report.  The  said  blank  forms  shall  be  prepared 
by  the  State  Mine  Inspector,  and  contain  the  necessary  headings  and 
columns  to  obtain  a  correct  and  true  statement  of  all  coal  of  every  kind 
mined;  and  this  section  shall  apply  to  all  mines  without  regard  to  the  num- 
ber of  men  employed. 

Section  7283.  Penalty.  Any  owner,  agent,  lessee,  or  operator  who 
shall  fail  or  refuse  to  file,  swear  to,  and  return  by  the  1st  day  of  July  of 
each  year  the  said  reports,  shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor,  and 
on  conviction  shall  be  fined  not  less  than  twenty-five  dollars  nor  more  than 
one  hundred  dollars  for  each  day  of  such  failure;  and  any  agent,  owner, 
lessee,  or  operator  who  knowingly  swears  to  a  false  report,  shall  be  deemed 
guilty  of  perjury,  and  punished  accordingly. 


128  MINERALS    IN    ARKANSAS 

Section  7284.  Air  currents.  All  slopes,  drifts  or  shafts,  used  for  hoist- 
ing or  hauling  coal  shall  be  made  the  intake  of  air  into  the  mines  except 
at  the  opition  of  the  owner  or  by  the  direction  of  the  State  Mine  Inspector, 
and  that  all  air  that  goes  into  a  mine  shall  be  so  split  that  not  more  than 
fifty  employees  will  be  working  on  each  split  of  air,  and  there  shall  not  be 
less  than  200  cubic  feet  of  air  pass  each  working  face  per  minute,  and  it 
shall  be  the  duty  of  the  State  Mine  Inspector  to  measure  the  air  at  all 
working  places  in  making  his  inspection.  The  machinery  and  appliances 
used  for  conducting  or  driving  the  air  into  the  mines  shall  be  so  installed,  ar- 
ranged and  adjusted  that  said  air  currents  may  be  easily  and  speedily 
reversed  in  emergencies. 

Section  7285.  Miners  called  out  of  dangerous  mines.  Whenever  and 
wherever  a  coal  mine  in  this  State  becomes  dangerous  from  high  water  or 
overflow  of  streams  adjacent  thereto,  whereby  the  lives  of  the  miners  em- 
ployed therein  are  jeopardized  by  reason  of  such  high  water,  it  shall  be  the 
duty  of  the  managers  of  such  coal  mine  to  call  the  miners  out  of  the  same, 
and  forbid  their  working  therein  until  such  danger  is  past,  and  failure 
to  do  so  is  hereby  made  a  high  misdemeanor,  and,  upon  conviction  thereof, 
shall  be  fined  in  any  sum  not  less  than  five  hundred  dollars  nor  more 
than  five  thousand  dollars,  or  by  imprisonment  not  less  than  six  months 
nor  more  than  one  year. 

Section  7286.  Failure  of  lessee  to  report  output.  Any  person,  firm  or 
corporation,  leasing  lands  in  this  State  under  written  contracts  providing 
for  a  royalty  to  be  paid  the  lessor  for  ore  deposits  or  minerals  taken  out  or 
off  of  said  land,  or  any  officer,  agent  or  employee  of  said  lessee,  who  shall 
with  the  intent  to  defraud  the  said  lessee  out  of  any  part  of  said  royalty 
fail,  neglect  or  refuse  to  report  the  true  amount  or  quantity  of  ore,  deposits 
or  minerals  taken  from  said  lands,  or  who  shall  conceal  the  true  amount  so 
taken,  or  who  shall  falsely  report  the  amount  so  taken,  shall  be  deemed 
guilty  of  a  felony,  and  shall  upon  conviction,  be  imprisoned  in  the  peniten- 
tiary for  not  less  than  one  nor  more  than  five  years. 


WASH   HOUSES  IN  COAL  MINES 

'Section  7287.  Duty  to  furnish.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  every  owner  or 
lessee,  its  officers  and  agents,  or  other  persons  having  jurisdiction  or  di- 
rection of  any  coal  mine  or  coal  mines  employing  ten  or  more  persons, 
within  the  State  of  Arkansas,  to  provide,  within  ninety  days  after  the 
passage  and  approval  of  this  act,  a  suitable  building  which  shall  be  con- 
venient to  the  principal  entrance  of  such  mine  or  mines,  and  equipped  with 
individual  lockers  or  hangers,  benches  or  seats,  proper  light,  heat,  hot  and 
cold  water  and  shower  baths,  and  maintain  the  same  in  good  order,  for  the 
use  and  benefit  of  all  persons  employed  in  or  about  said  mine  or  mines. 
Said  building  shall  be  so  constructed  as  to  give  sufficient  space  for  the  ac- 
commodation of  miners  or  others  using  the  same.  The  flooring  in  the  wash 
room  of  said  building  to  be  made  of  concrete  or  cement,  but  the  material 
used  in  flooring  in  the  changing  room  shall  be  optional  with  the  owner, 
lessee  operating  or  directing  the  operation  of  the  mine  or  mines.  All 
lockers  required  by  this  act,  when  made  of  steel,  shall  be  not  less  than 
twelve  inches  in  width,  twelve  inches  in  depth  and  sixty  inches  in  height. 
When  made  of  lumber,  they  shall  not  be  less  than  twelve  inches  in  depth, 
twelve  inches  in  width  and  sixty  inches  in  height,  with  partitions  in  center 
of  wood  lockers.  Individual  hangers  shall  consist  of  not  less  than  three 
suitable  hooks  upon  which  to  hang  clothing  and  a  receptacle  of  suitable  size 
for  use  in  connection  therewith,  attached  to  a  proper  chain  or  wire  rope, 
and  so  suspended  as  to  admit  of  hanger  being  raised  to  such  height  that 
wearing  apparel,  when  hung  thereon,  will  not  be  less  than  seven  feet  above 
the  floor  of  said  building  and  of  being  locked  in  that  position.  The  lockers 
and  hangers  in  each  wash  house  shall  be  sufficient  in  number  to  accommo- 
date all  employees  of  said  mine  or  mines  and  there  shall  be  one  shower  bath 
for  each  fifteen  employees.  Said  employees  shall  furnish  their  own  towels, 
soap  and  lock  for  their  lockers  or  hangers,  exercising  control  over  and  be 
responsible  for  the  property  by  them  left  therein;  and  it  shall  be  the  duty 


MINERALS  IN  ARKANSAS  12D 

of  all  persons  using  said  wash  houses  to  remove  therefrom  all  cast-off  wear- 
ing apparel. 

Section  7288.  To  be  kept  clean.  Every  corporation,  company,  parim-r- 
ship,  person  or  persons  who  shall  construct  any  building  or  buildings  required 
by  Section  7287,  and  shall  install  such  house  and  wash  house  facilities 
as  required  therein,  shall  at  all  times,  during  the  operation  of  any  mine  or 
mines,  keep  same  in  clean  and  sanitary  condition,  but  shall  not  be  liable 
for  the  loss  or  destruction  of  any  property  of  employees  left  in  any  such 
building  or  buildings. 

Section  7289.  Penalty.  Any  owner,  lessee,  its  officers  or  agents,  or 
other  persons  failing  or  refusing  to  comply  with  the  provisions  of  this  act 
shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor,  and  shall  upon  conviction,  be 
fined  not  less  than  $50  nor  more  than  $100;  each  day's  violation  shall  con- 
stitute a  separate  offense  and  shall  be  punished  as  such. 

Section  7290.  Injury  to  appurtenances — penalty.  It  shall  be  unlawful 
for  any  person  to  break,  injure  or  destroy  any  part  or  appurtenance  to  any 
wash  house,  or  commit  any  nuisance  therein;  and  any  person  adjuged 
guilty  of  a  violation  of  this  section  shall  be  fined  in  any  sum  not  less  than 
$25  nor  more  than  $50. 

Section  7291.  Separate  waoh  houses.  All  coal  mines  operating  in  this 
State  shall  by  partition,  or  by  other  means,  in  the  discretion  of  the  State 
Mine  Inspector,  maintain  separate  wash  houses  for  whites  and  blacks. 

Section  7292.  Duty  of  inspector.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  State  Mine 
Inspector,  and  he  is  by  this  act  .authorized  to  require  wash  houses  already 
in  existence  to  be  so  changed,  remodeled  and  improved  as  to  comply  with 
the  provisions  of  this  act.  He  shall  have  general  supervision  of  this  law 
and  its  enforcement. 


LIEN    OF    MINERS 

Section  7293.  Lien  on  output  and  machinery.  Any  person  or  person* 
working  in  any  mines  of  the  State  of  Arkansas,  or  in  any  quarries,  either 
stone  or  marble,  shall  have  a  lien  on  the  output  of  any  such  mines  or 
quarries  for  the  amount  due  for  such  work,  and,  in  addition  thereto,  his 
lien  shall  attach  to  all  machinery,  tools  and  implements  used  in  such  quar- 
rying and  mining,  such  liens  to  be  enforced  in  the  manner  now  provided 
or  as  may  hereafter  be  provided  for  the  enforcement  of  laborer's  liens. 


RIGHT  TO    OPERATE   ON    RAILWAYS   OR    TRAMWAYS 

Section  7294.  Short  line  roads  authorized.  A  person  owning  or  con- 
trolling, by  lease  or  purchase,  any  copper,  lead,  zinc,  iron,  marble,  stone, 
rock,  granite,  slate,  coal  or  other  mineral  lands  in  this  State  shall  have  the 
same  right  to  incorporate,  own,  construct  and  operate  such  short  lines  of 
railway  or  tramway  as  may  be  necessary  to  the  successful  mining,  quarry- 
ing and  marketing  of  said  coal,  marble,  stone,  rock,  granite,  slate  and  other 
mineral. 

Section  7295.  Eminent  domain.  All  incorporations  herein  provided  for 
shall  be  governed  by  the  laws  governing  railway  incorporations  in  this 
State;  and  shall  have  the  same  right  to  acquire  right-of-way  over,  under  or 
through  any  private  or  public  lands,  and  shall  have  and  exercise  the  same 
right  of  eminent  domain  in  acquiring  such  right-of-way;  and  shall  have  the 
same  authority  to  construct,  own,  lease,  operate,  or  sell  such  lines  of  railway, 
or  tramway,  as  may  be  necessary  to  the  successful  mining  and  marketing 
of  such  coal  and  other  minerals,  owned  or  controlled  by  said  mining  cor- 
porations in  this  State. 

Section  7296.  Rights  as  carrier.  When  so  incorporated  and*construct- 
ed,  such  short  lines  of  railway  and  tramway  shall  be  and  are  hereby  en- 
titled to  all  the  rights,  powers  and  privileges  of  a  common  carrier. 

Section  7297.  Rights  to  connections,  crossings,  etc.  All  such  short 
lines  of  railway,  or  tramway,  shall  have  the  same  rights  and  privileges  of 
connections,  crossings,  sidings,  switches  and  transfer,  without  prejudice 
or  discrimination,  as  are  extended  by  custom  or  granted  by  law  to  railroad 
corporations  in  this  State. 


130  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

Section  7298.  Passenger  equipment  not  required.  All  such  short  lines 
of  railway,  or  tramway,  not  exceeding  six  miles  in  length,  shall  not  be 
required  to  maintain  passenger  equipment,  but  if,  at  their  option,  they 
carry  passengers,  they  shall  be  subject  to  the  laws  governing  passenger 
traffic  on  railroads  in  this  State. 


Coal  Mine  Examining"  Board 

(Digest  of  the  Statutes  of  Arkansas,  1921.) 

Section  7317  Examining  board.  Immediately  after  the  passage  of  this 
act,  there  shall  be  appointed  by  the  Governor,  a  board  of  four  examiners  to 
serve  until  July  1,  1921,  and  thereafter  such  board  of  examiners  shall  be  ap- 
pointed for  a  term  of  four  years.  Two  of  said  board  shall  be  practical  miners, 
who  have  had  at  least  eight  years'  experience  as  miners  in  mines  of  Arkansas 
or  elsewhere;  two  shall  be  operators  of  coal  mines  in  the  State  of  Arkansas 
or  representatives  thereof.  One  additional  member  of  said  board  shall  be 
selected  by  the  four  members  appointed  as  hereinbefore  provided.  The 
Members  of  the  examining  board  shall  be  paid  out  of  the  coal  mine  ex- 
aminers' fund,  upon  vouchers  to  be  approved  by  the  president  of  said 
board,  the  sum  of  $6  per  day  for  each  day  of  actual  service  and  their  neces- 
sary expenses. 

Section  7318.  Organization  and  duties.  Immediately  after  their  ap- 
pointment, the  examiners  shall  meet  and  organize  by  selecting  a  chairman 
and  secretary.  The  secretary  shall  keep  on  file  all  examination  questions 
and  their  answers,  and  all  examination  records  and  papers  belonging  to 
the  board.  The  examining  board  shall  convene  upon  call  of  the  chairman, 
except  in  case  of  emergency.  Notices  shall  be  published  in  one  newspaper 
of  general  circulation  in  each  county  in  which  there  are  coal  mines,  at  least 
five  days  before  the  day  of  meeting. 

Section  7319.  Employees  to  be  examined — fees.  On  and  after  the  pas- 
sage of  this  act  no  fire  bosses,  hoisting  engineers,  or  mine  foremen  shall 
be  employed  in  any  mines  in  the  state  of  Arkansas,  unless  they  shall  have 
been  examined  by  the  said  State  Board  of  Examiners,  as  hereinafter  pro- 
vided. 

And  provided,  further,  that  no  one  shall  act  as  mine  instructor  or  as- 
sistant mine  instructor  of  the  State  of  Arkansas,  unless  they  have  been 
examined  by  said  board  of  examiners,  as  hereinafter  provided. 

Provided,  that  the  mine  inspector  holding  office  at  the  time  this  act 
goes  into  effect  shall  have  a  fee  of  $10  and  be  granted  a  certificate  with- 
out examination,  and  the  assistant  mine  inspector  holding  office  at  the 
time  this  act  goes  into  effect,  shall,  on  payment  of  a  fee  of  $7.50,  be  grant- 
ed a  certificate  without  examination. 

Provided,  that  men  holding  positions  of  hoisting  engineers,  or  mine 
foremen,  at  the  time  this  act  goes  into  effect,  who  have  had  five  years' 
experience  and  pay  a  fee  of  $5,  shall  be  granted  certificates  without  ex- 
amination. 

Fire  bosses,  holding  positions  at  the  time  this  act  goes  into  effect,  who 
have  had  five  years'  experience  and  pay  a  fee  of  $3,  shall  be  granted  a 
certificate  without  examination.  Applicants  for  examination  shall  be  able 
to  read  and  write  the  English  language,  and  shall  satisfy  the  board  of  ex- 
aminers that  they  are  of  good  moral  character,  and  not  be  a  user  of  in- 
toxicating liquors,  and  shall  be  a  citizen  of  the  United  States.  All  appli- 
cants shall  be  thoroughly  examined  with  reference  to  the  duties  of  the  posi- 
tions for  which  they  have  applied  for  certificate.  Applicants  for  certificates 
as  mine  foremen  shall  be  at  least  25  years  old,  and  shall  have  had  at  least 
five  yearsj  experience  as  practical  coal  miners,  mining  engineers  or  men  of 
general  underground  experience.  Applicants  for  certificates  as  fire  bosses 
shall  have  like  qualifications  and  experience  in  the  mines  of  Arkansas  or 
elsewhere  and  shall  also  have  had  experience  in  mines  that  generate  ex- 
plosive and  noxious  gases.  Applicants  for  certificates  as  mine  inspector 
shall,  before  examination,  pay  to  the  board  a  fee  of  $4,  and,  if  successful  a 
further  fee  of  $6  for  a  certificate.  Applicants  for  certificates  as  assistant 
mine  inspector  shall,  before  examination,  pay  to  the  board  a  fee  of  $3  and, 
if  successful,  a  further  fee  of  $4.50  for  a  certificate.  Applicants  for  certi- 


MINERALS  iN  ARKANSAS  131 

flcates  as  mine  foremen  and  hoisting  engineers  shall,  before  examination, 
pay  to  the  board  a  fee  of  $2  and,  if  successful,  a  further  fee  of  $3  for  a  cer- 
tificate. Other  applicants  shall,  before  examination,  pay  to  the  board  of 
examiners  a  fee  of  $1,  and,  if  successful,  a  further  fee  of  $2  for  a  certi- 
ficate. 

Section  7320.  Certificates.  The  board  shall  grant  certificates  after 
examination  to  all  applicants  wbo  have  shown  themselves  familiar  with 
the  duties  of  the  position  for  which  they  desire  certificates,  and  are  capable 
of  performing  such  duties.  Provided,  that  certificates  of  the  first  grade 
shall  be  granted  only  to  applicants  who  by  oral  or  written  examinations  in 
the  presence  of  and  relating  to  explosive  gas,  have  shown  themselves 
competent  to  act  as  mine  foremen  in  mines  which  generate  ex- 
plosive and  noxious  gases,  and  the  certificate  shall  so  state.  Provided, 
certificates  for  mine  inspector  and  assistant  mine  inspector  shall  be  granted 
only  to  applicants  who  have  shown  themselves  duly  qualified,  as  provided 
by  the  law  creating  such  office,  and  no  appointments  shall  be  made  to  such 
offices  unless  such  appointee  shall  hold  a  certificate. 

Section  7321.  Grade  of  certificate.  Anyone  holding  a  first  grade  fire- 
man's certificate  may  serve  as  foreman  in  any  mine  and  may  serve  as  fire 
boss;  and  anyone  holding  a  second  grade  mine  foreman's  certificate  may 
serve  as  any  of  the  above,  except  as  fire  boss  and  foreman  in  mines  which 
generate  explosive  or  natural  gases,  and  in  case  of  emergency  any  mine 
owner,  with  the  consent  of  the  examining  board,  may  employ  any  trust- 
worthy or  experienced  man  who  shall  not  hold  a  certificate,  for  a  period  of 
not  more  than  thirty  days  as  mine  foreman  or  fire  boss.  * 

Section  7322.  Forgery  or  counterfeit  of  certificate.  Any  person  who 
shall  forge,  alter  or  counterfeit  a  certificate,  or  shall  secure  or  attempt  to 
secure  employment  by  use  of  such  forged,  altered  or  counterfeit  certificate, 
or  shall  falsely  represent  that  he  is  a  holder  of  a  certificate  regularly  is- 
sued him,  shall  be  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor. 

Section  7323.  Duplicate  certificates.  In  case  of  loss  or  destruction  of 
certificates,  the  secretary  of  the  examining  board,  upon  satisfactory  proof 
of  the  said  loss  or  destruction,  may  issue  a  duplicate  thereof  on  the  pay- 
ment of  the  sum  of  $1. 

Section  7324.  Revocation  of  certificates.  ..All  certificates  issued  here- 
under  may  be  revoked  by  the  board  of  examiners  after  hearing  upon  due 
notice  to  the  holder  of  the  certificate,  and  upon  written  charges  preferred 
by  the  board  or  by  some  interested  person  for  violation  of  this  act.  Com- 
plaint may  be  filed  against  the  holder  of  a  certificate  for  intoxication,  mental 
disabilities,  neglect  of  duty  or  other  sufficient  cause;  provided,  however, 
that  the  holder  of  the  certificate  so  cancelled  shall  have  the  right  to  appear 
before  the  examining  board  after  the  expiration  of  three  months  and  be  re- 
examined,  if  he  shall  first  satisfy  the  board  that  the  incapacity  complained 
of  shall  have  ceased  to  exist. 

Section  7325.  Penalty.  Any  owner,  operator,  lessee  or  agent  of  any 
coal  mine  in  the  state  of  Arkansas,  violating  any  of  the  provisions  of  this 
act,  shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor,  and  upon  conviction  shall 
be  fined  not  less  than  $10  nor  more  than  $100,  or  be  imprisoned  in  the 
county  jail  not  exceeding  one  year,  or  both. 


The  office  of  the  State  Mine  Inspector  is  at  Fort  Smith, 
Ark.  The  office  of  the  State  Bureau  of  Labor  is  at  Little 
Rock,  Ark. 


132  MINERALS  IN  ARKANSAS 

Laws  For  the  Conservation  of  Oil  and  Gas 

(Digest  of  the  Statutes  of  Arkansas,  1921) 

Section  7299.  Duties  of  owners  or  operators.  The  owner  or  operator 
of  any  well  put  down  for  the  purpose  of  exploring  for  or  producing  oil  or 
gas  shall,  during  the  course  of  such  drilling,  case  off  all  fresh  or  salt  water 
from  each  oil  or  gas  producing  sand  encountered  while  drilling,  such  casing 
to  be  set  in  the  well  in  such  manner  as  to  exclude  all  water  from  penetrating 
the  oil  or  gas-bearing  sand,  and  should  such  well  be  put  down  through  the 
first  into  a  lower  oil  or  gas-bearing  sand,  the  same  shall  be  cased  in  such 
manner  as  to  exclude  all  fresh  or  salt  water,  from  all  oil  or  gas-bearing  sands 
encountered  during  the  course  of  such  drilling  operation.  And,  should  any  well 
so  drilled  produce  oil  or  gas-bearing  sand  such  oil  or  gas  shall  be  conserved  by 
either  casing  or  mudding  it  off,  so  as  to  confine  it  in  the  gas  or.  oil-bearing 
sand  where  found;  or,  if  it  is  to  be  utilized  from  different  sands  in  the 
same  well,  it  shall  be  taken  through  different  strings  of  casing  or  tubing. 

Section  7300.  Duty  to  confine  gas.  Any  person,  co-partnership,  corpora- 
tion, owner,  lessee  or  manager  in  possession  of  any  well  producing  natural 
gas,  in  order  to  prevent  said  gas  from  wasting  by  escape,  shall  within  ten 
days  after  this  act  takes  effect,  and  thereafter  within  four  days  after  pen- 
etrating the  gas-'bearing  sand  in  any  well  drilled,  shut  in  and  confine  the 
gas  in  said  well  until  and  during  such  time  as  the  gas  therein  shall  be 
utilized  for  light,  fuel  or  steam  power. 

'Section  7301.  Plugging  dry  or  abandoned  wells.  All  lessees  or  opera- 
tors drilling  or  operating  for  crude  oil  or  natural  gas  within  the  State  of 
Arkansas  shall  immediately,  in  a  practical  and  workmanlike  manner,  under 
the  supervision  of  the  oil  or  gas  inspector,  as  hereinafter  provided,  plug 
all  dry  or  abandoned  oil  or  gas  wells  in  which  oil  or  gas  bearing  stratum 
has  been  found,  in  the  following  manner:  Beginning  at  the  bottom  of 
the  hole,  same  shall  be  solidly  plugged  with  a  substance  consisting  of 
one-third  portion  cement  and  two-thirds  portion  of  sand  properly  mixed 
with  water  to  a  point  twenty-five  feet  above  top  level  of  the  oil  or  gas-bear- 
ing rand.  At  that  point  a  seasoned,  wooden  plug  two  feet  in  length  and 
the  diameter  of  the  hole,  shall  be  placed.  Thereafter  the  hole  shall  be 
filled  up  solidly  twTenty-five  feet  with  sand  baling  and  a  seasoned  wooden 
plug,  two  feet  in  length  and  the  diameter  of  the  hole  shall  be  so  placed  and 
driven  firmly  into  the  sand  balings.  Should  there  be  more  than  one  oil  or 
gas-bearing  sand  in  the  well,  after  plugging  the  bottom  sand  in  the  well,  as 
herein  above  set  out,  the  well  shall  be  filled  with  sand  balings  to  within  ten 
feet  of  the  bottom  of  the  next  sand  above  that  last  plugged,  when  this  sand 
and  each  succeeding  sand  shall  be  plugged  in  the  manner  herein  above  set 
out,  until  all  the  oil  and  gas-bearing  sands  in  the  well  have  been  plugged  as 
herein  provided. 

Section  7302.  Right  of  persons  threatened  with  injury.  Whenever  any 
person  is  injured  or  threatened  with  injury  by  the  neglect  to  comply  with 
the  provisions  of  section  7301,  it  shall  be  lawful  for  such  persons,  after 
notice  to  the  owner,  lessee  or  caretaker  of  the  premises  upon  which 
such  well  is  located,  to  enter  upon  and  fill  up  and  plug  such  well  in  the 
manner  herein  provided;  and  thereupon  to  recover  the  expense  thereof  from 
the  person  or  persons  whose  duty  it  was  to  fill  up  or  plug  such  well  in 
like  manner  as  debts  of  such  amounts  are  recoverable,  and  shall  have  a 
lien  upon  the  fixtures,  machinery,  and  leasehold  interest  of  the  owner  or 
operator  of  such  well  for  all  sums  expended  in  filling  up  and  plugging 
such  well,  and  for  the  costs  of  the  suit,  including  a  reasonable  attorney's 
fee,  to  be  fixed  by  the  court. 

Section  7303.  Penalty.  Any  person,  firm  or  corporation  violating 
section  7299,  7300  or  7301  shall  be  subject  to  a  penalty  of  not  less  than 
one  hundred  dollars  or  more  than  one  thousand  dollars  to  be  recovered 
in  an  action  therefore,  brought  by  the  prosecuting  attorney  in  the  name  of 
the  State,  by  the  court.  The  proceeds  of  the  penalties  collected  shall  be 
turned  into  the  general  road  fund  of  the  county  where  incurred,  to  be  used 
on  the  roads,  bridges  or  highways  of  said  county,  in  the  discretion  of  the 
county  court. 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  133 

Section  7304.  Log  of  well  drilled — filing.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the 
owner  of  ^any  well  drilled  for  gas  or  oil  to  keep  a  careful  and  accurrate  log 
of  the  drilling  of  such  well,  such  log  to  show  the  character  and  depth  of 
the  formation  passed  through  or  encountered  in  the  drilling  of  such  well, 
and  particularly  to  show  the  location  and  depth  of  the  water-bearing 
strata,  together  with  the  character  of  the  water  encountered  from  time  to 
time,  and  to  show  at  what  point  such  water  was  shut  off,  if  at  all,  and  if 
not,  so  state  in  the  log;  and  show  the  depth  at  which  oil  or  gas  strata  is 
encountered,  and  the  character  of  same,  and  whether  all  water  overflow- 
ing or  underlying  such  oil  or  gas-bearing  strata  was  successfully  and  per- 
manently shut  off,  so  as  to  prevent  the  percolation  or  penetration  into 
such  oil  or  gas-bearing  strata.  The  said  log  to  be  verified  by  the  person  in 
charge  of  the  drilling  attested  as  correct  by  the  owners  of  the  well,  and 
shall  be  filed  with  the  county  clerk  of  the  county  in.  which  said  well  is 
located,  and  preserved  by  him  in  the  public  records.  The  said  log  shall 
definitely  describe  the  location  of  the  well. 

Section  7305.  Leaks— notice  to  owner.  It  is  hereby  made  the  duty  of 
any  person  discovering  any  leak  in  any  pipe  line  for  the  transportation  of 
natural  gas,  or  in  any  machinery,  apparatus  or  device  used  in  the  regula- 
tion, distribution  or  transportation  thereof,  forthwith  to  notify  the  owner 
of  said  pipe  line  or  other  appliance  and  also  notify  the  gas  inspector 
of  said  leak.  It  is  made  the  duty  of  the  owner  of  such  pipe  line  or  other 
apparatus  ffom  which  gas  is  escaping,  to  immediately  repair  the  same.  It 
is  made  the  duty  of  the  gas  inspector,  on  receiving  reliable  information 
of  such  leak,  or  on  personal  knowledge  thereof,  to  forthwith  notify  the 
owner  of  said  pipe  line  or  appliance  of  it,  and  to  immediately  repair  the 
same.  Should  the  owner  of  such  pipe  line,  apparatus,  appliance  or  device 
fail  to  at  once  repair  said  leak,  or  use  the  utmost  diligence  to  do  so,  he 
shall  be  subject  to  a  penalty  of  not  less  than  one  hundred  dollars  nor  more 
than  one  thousand  dollars  and  a  reasonable  attorney's  fee  to  be  fixed  by 
the  court  for  the  prosecuting  attorney  to  be  recovered  in  an  action 
brought  by  the  prosecuting  attorney  in  the  name  of  the  State  therefor. 
The  proceeds  of  penalties  collected  shall  be  turned  into  the  general 
fund  of  the  county  where  the  leak  is  located,  to  be  used  on  the  roads, 
bridges,  or  highways  of  said  county,  in  the  discretion  of  the  county  court. 

Section  7306.  Permitting  flow  of  gas — penalty.  It  shall  be  unlawful 
for  any  person,  firm  or  corporation  having  possession  or  control  of  any  gas 
well  whether  as  contractor,  owner,  lessee,  or  manager,  to  allow  or  permit 
the  flow  of  natural  gas  of  any  such  well  to  flow  into  the  open  air  without 
being  confined  to  such  well  or  pipe,  or  other  safe  receptacles,  for  a  longer 
period  than  three  days  after  the  gas  shall  have  been  struck  and  produced 
of  such  well.  If  such  well  cannot  be  confined  in  three  days,  the  per«on 
controlling  the  same  shall  continue  with  the  utmost  diligence  to  confine 
it  as  soon  as  possible.  Failure  to  comply  with  this  section  shall  subiect  the 
person  failing  so  to  do  to  the  penalties  and  proceedure  provided  in  the 
next  preceding  section,  which  shall  be  applicable  hereto. 

Section  7307.  Civil  liability.  In  addition  to  the  penalties  described  in 
the  preceding  section  for  failure  to  confine  natural  gas,  any  person  or  cor- 
poration lawfully  in  possession  of  lands  upon  which  said  gas  well  is  situated, 
or  adioining  or  adjacent  thereto,  or  in  the  vicinity  of  such  well,  may  enter 
upon  the  lands  on  which  such  well  is  situated  and  take  possession  of  such 
well  from  which  said  gas  is  allowed  to  escape  in  violation  of  such  section, 
after  the  failure  of  the  party  in  control  thereof  for  ten  hours  to  use  the 
utmost  diligence  to  confine  the  said  gas,  and  pack  and  tube  such  well,  and 
shut  in  and  secure  the  flow  of  gas,  and  maintain  civil  action  i\i  any  court 
of  competent  jurisdiction  in  this  State  against  the  owner,  lessee,  agent,  or 
manager  of  such  well,  and  each  of  them,  jointly  or  severally,  to  recover 
the  cost  and  expense  of  said  tubing  and  packfng,  together  with  attorney's 
fees  to  be  taxed  as  a  part  of  the  cost. 

Section  7308.  Setting  fire  to  escaping  gas.  It  is  hereby  declared  to 
be  unlawful  for  any  person  to  set  on  fire  any  gas  escaping  from  wells, 
broken  or  leaking  mains,  valves,  pipes  or  other  appliances  used  by  any 
person,  company  or  corporation  in  conveying  gas  to  consumers,  or  in  stor- 
ing the  same,  or  to  interfere  in  any  manner  with  wells,  pipes,  mains,  gate- 


134  MINERALS. IN     ARKANSAS 

boxes,  valves,  stop-cocks  or  other  appliances,  or  machinery  of  any  per- 
son, company  or  corporation,  unless  employed  by  or  acting  under  the  au- 
thority or  direction  of  the  person,  company  or  corporation  owning  or  con- 
trolling said  wells,  mains,  pipes,  valves,  or  other  appliances,  and  those 
herein  mentioned,  or  legal  authority.  Anyone  found  guilty  of  violation  of 
this  section  shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor,  and  confined  in  the 
county  jail  not  less  than  one  day  nor  more  than  six  months,  and  fined 
$25.00. 

Section  7309.  Flambeau  lights  prohibited.  The  use  of  natural  gas  for 
illuminating  purposes  in  what  are  known  as  "flgmr.eau"  lights  is  wasteful 
and  extravagant  use  thereof,  and  is  dangerous  to  the  public  good,  and  it 
shall  therefore  be  unlawful  for  any  company,  corporation  or  person  to  use 
natural  gas  for  illuminating  purposes  in  what  are  known  as  "flambeau" 
lights  in  cities,  towns,  highways  or  elsewhere;  provided,  this 
shall  not  be  so  construed  to  prohibit  the  use  of  such  gas  in 
what  are  known  as  "jumbo"  burners,  inclosed  in  glass  globes,  or  lamps,  or 
by  the  use  of  other  burners  of  similar  character,  so  inclosed  as  will  con- 
sume no  more  gas  than  "jumbo"  burners;  provided,  further,  that  this  shall 
not  apply  to  those  engaged  in  drilling  wells  while  the  well  is  being  drilled. 
A  violation  of  this  section  shall  subject  the  person  so  violating  it  to  the  pen- 
alties and  proceedings  provided  in  Section  7305,  which  is  made  applicable 
hereto. 

Section  7310.  Gas  inspector.  The  office  of  gas  inspector  is  hereby 
created.  The  gas  inspector  shall  have  at  least  three  years'  experience  in 
natural  gas  drilling  operations,  and  possess  technical  knowledge  of  the 
properties  of  natural  gas,  and  of  geology  so  far  as  it  relates  to  the  sub j act 
of  natural  gas.  The  Governor  shall  appoint  such  person  as  gas  inspector 
and  commission  him  as  such,  and  shall  serve  for  a  term  of  four  years,  or 
until  his  successor  is  appointed  and  qualified,  and  he  is  hereby  vested 
with  the  duties  and  rights  and  powers  hereinafter  prescribed. 

Section  7311.  Notice  of  drilling — penalty.  When  a  company  or  in- 
dividual drilling  a  well  is  required  to  plug  it  as  provided  in  this  act,  he  is 
to  notify  the  gas  inspector,  who  shall  supervise  the  plugging  and  see  that  it 
conforms  to  the  requirements  of  this  act,  and  said  gas  inspector  shall 
file  a  written  report  with  the  county  clerk  of  the  county  in  which  the  well 
is  situated,  stating  in  detail  the  work  done,  and  he  shall  receive  a  fee  of 
$25  from  the  company  or  individual  owning  the  well.  Should  the  company 
or  individual  plugging  the  well  violate  the  provisions  of  this  act  in  so  do- 
ing, or  in  failing  to  do  or  the  written  directions  of  the  gas  inspector,  it 
shall  be  subject  to  a  penalty  of  not  less  than  $100  nor  more  than  $1,000 
and  the  proceedure  provided  in  Section  7305  which  is  made  applicable 
hereto. 

Section  7312.  Notice  of  plugging  well — penalty.  When  a  company  or 
individual  drilling  a  well  is  required  to  plug  it  as  provided  in  this  act,  he  is 
to  notify  the  gas  inspector,  who  shall  supervise  the  plugging  and  see  that 
it  conforms  to  the  requirements  of  this  act,  and  said  gas  inspector  shall  file 
a  written  report  with  the  county  clerk  of  the  county  in  which  the  well  is 
situated,  stating  in  detail  the  work  done,  and  he  shall  receive  a  fee  of  $25 
from  the  company  or  individual  owning  the  well.  Should  the  company  or 
Individual  plugging  the  well  violate  the  provisions  of  this  act  in  so  doing,  or 
in  failing  to  do,  or  the  written  directions  of  the  gas  inspector,  it  shall  be 
subject  to  a  penalty  of  not  less  than  $100  nor  more  than  $1,000  and  the  pro- 
cedure provided  in  Section  7305  which  is  made  applicable  hereto. 

Section  7313.  Gas  or  oil-bearing  sand — notice  to  inspector.  Any  com- 
pany or  individual  drilling  a  well  shall  notify  the  gas  inspector  whenever  it 
reaches  gas  or  oil-bearing  sand  or  strata,  whether  said  sand  or  strata  are 
producing  or  not,  and  the  inspector  shall  at  once  visit  the  well  and  see 
that  the  provisions  of  this  act  in  regard  to  protecting  said  oil  or  gas-b«ar- 
ing  sands  or  strata  are  complied  with,  and  he  shall  receive  a  fee  of  $15  to 
be  paid  by  the  company,  or  individual  drilling  the  well  for  his  said  serv- 
ices; provided  the  person  drilling  the  well  shall  not  be  required  to  stop 
drilling  until  the  inspector  arrives.  Failure  of  the  individual  or  company 
drilling  a  well  to  comply  with  this  act  in  regard  to  protecting  gas-bearing 
or  oil-bearing  strata  or  sand,  or  to  obey  the  written  instruction  of  the  gas 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  135 

inspector,  shall  render  the  company  or  individual  subject  to  a  penalty  of 
not  less  than  $100  or  more  than  $1,000  and  subject  to  the  same  proceedure  as 
provided  in  Section  7305,  which  is  made  applicable  hereto. 

Section  7314.  Duties  of  inspector — penalty.  The  gas  inspector  shall 
Inspect  all  gas  wells  in  the  process  of  drilling  and  all  pipe  lines  in  process  of 
construction,  and  see  there  is  no  wastage  of  gas,  and  that  said  wells  and 
pipe  lines  are  properly  constructed  to  prevent  wastage.  If  he  finds  any  water 
or  wastage  in  well,  pipes  or  other  receptacle  for  gas,  he  shall  at  once  notify 
the  owner  thereof,  or,  in  his  absence,  the  person  in  control  thereof,  of  the 
eame,  with  directions  to  immediately  repair  same,  and  failure  thereof  shall 
subject  the  owner  or  person  in  control  thereof  to  a  penalty  of  not  less  than 
$100  or  more  than  $1,000  to  be  recovered  as  provided  in  Section  7305.  which 
is  made  applicable  thereto.  Each  person,  company  or  individual,  dr  lling  or 
pwning  an  oil  or  gas  well  shall  pay  an  inspector  fee  of  $10  to  the  gas  in- 
spector, and  any  person,  firm  or  corporation  constructing  or  owning  a  pipe 
line  shall  pay  the  inspection  fee  of  $10  for  each  five  miles  or  a  fraction 
thereof. 

Section  7315.  Defense  to  action  for  penalty.  In  any  action  for  penalty 
for  failure  to  comply  with  directions  of  the  gas  inspector,  the  defendant 
may  be  permitted  to  show  that  the  requirement  was  unreasonable  and 
unnecessary,  on  proof  of  wlrch  the  defendant  shall  be  discharged. 

Section  7316.  Amount  of  gas  to  be  taken — penalty.  It  shall  be  unlaw- 
ful for  any  person,  firm  or  corporation  owning  or  operating  any  natural 
gas  well,  within  the  State  of  Arkansas,  or  selling  gas  therefrom,  directly 
or  indirectly,  to  draw  from  any  well  so  owned  or  operated,  in  an  amount 
exceeding  in  the  aggregate  20  per  cent  of  the  open-flow  test  of  the  total 
volume  of  gas  being  produced  out  of  the  gas  sands  and  said  well;  provided, 
however,  if  the  rock  pressure  or  volume  of  any  gas  producing  area  can 
be  proved  to  have  become  depleted  to  such  an  e>tent  that  the  gas  will  not 
flow  of  its  own  volition,  and  it  becomes  necessary  to  pump  said  gas,  or 
by  other  artificial  means  procure  gas  from  the  aforementioned  sands,  then 
the  first  part  of  this  section  shall  have  no  application  while  such  condi- 
tion exists.  Any  person,  firm  or  corporation  violating  this  section  shall  be 
subject  to  a  penalty  of  $100  for  each  day  or  part  of  day  of  such  violation; 
and  this  penalty  may  be  recovered  in  an  action  therefor  brought  by  the 
prosecuting  attorney  in  the  name  of  the  State,  and  a  fee  of  one-fourth  of 
the  amount  recovered  in  such  action  shall  be  allowed  to  the  prosecuting  at- 
torney bringing  the  action,  and  one-fourth  shall  be  paid  to  the  gas  inspec- 
tor; the  remaining  half  of  the  recovery  shall  be  turned  into  the  general 
road  fund  of  the  county  where  collected,  to  be  used  on  the  roads,  bridges  or 
highways  of  said  county,  in  the  discretion  of  the  county  court. 


An  Act  To  Conserve  Natural  Gas  Resources  of  the  State  of 

Arkansas. 

(Act  144,  General  Assembly,  1921.) 

Section  1.  In  order  to  determine  the  open  flow  volume  of  gas  produced 
by  any  well,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  State  Gas  Inspector  or  his  duly  au- 
thorized deputy  to  test  all  wells  producing  gas  in  the  State  of  Arkansas, 
from  which  gas  is  being  used  or  marketed,  between  the  1st  day  of  De- 
cember and  the  1st  day  of  January  in  each  year,  and  as  often  thereafter 
as  in  his  judgment  it  may  be  necessary  for  the  purpose  of  determining 
the  open  flow  volume  and  rock  pressure  of  said  wells.  The  State  Oil  and 
Gas  Inspector  shall  be  paid  a  fee  of  $25.00  a  day  and  his  actual  expenses 
by  the  person,  firm  or  corporation  whose  wells  are  tested  by  him  or  his 
deputy  under  the  provisions  of  this  section. 

Section  2.  In  determining  the  open  flow  volume  and  rock  pressure  of 
said  well,  said  Gas  Inspector  shall  first  close  the  well  for  a  period  of 
five  minutes,  and  then  take  a  test,  to  determine  its  closed-in  pressure.  He 
shall  then  immediately  open  said  well  and  flow  it  for  five  minutes,  and 
then  take  a  test  of  its  open  flow  volume,  with  approved  instruments  and 
devices  in  use  for  that  purpose. 

Section  3.  Immediately  after  the  said  tests  are  made,  the  Gas  Inspec- 
tor shall  furnish  the  person,  firm  or  corporation  owning  or  operating  said 


136  MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS 

well  or  wells  with  a  copy  of  the  tests  made  by  him,  showing  the  amount 
of  gas  which  said  owner  or  operator  may  take  from  each  of  said  wells  daily, 
and  shall  file  his  report  of  said  tests  with  the  county  clerk  of  the  county  in 
which  said  well  or  wells  are  situated,  showing  the  closed-in  rock  pres- 
sure and  open  flow  volume,  size  of  the  tubing  with  which  said  well  or 
wells  are  closed  in,  and  the  condition  of  the  well  or  wells  at  the  time  the 
test  was  made;  said  report  to  be  verified  by  said  Gas  Inspector  and  pre- 
served by  the  County  Clerk  in  the  county  records. 

Section  4.  Before  making  said  tests,  the  Gas  Inspector  shall  give 
five  days'  notice  in  writing  to  the  person,  firm  or  corporation  owning, 
operating  or  controlling  said  gas  well  or  wells,  of  the  time  when  said  tests 
will  be  made,  and  the  person,  firm  or  corporation  owning,  operating  or 
controlling  said  well  or  wells,  or  any  other  person  interested  therein,  shall 
have  the  right  to  be  present  when  said  test  is  being  made,  and  shall  afford 
to  said  Gas  Inspector  every  means  and  facility  possible  for  the  purpose  of 
making  an  accurate  test  of  said  well  or  wells,  as  provided  in  this  Act. 

Section  5.  If,  in  the  judgment  of  the  Gas  Inspector,  it  shall  be  deemed 
advisable  or  necessary  to  test  said  wells  oftener  then  set  out  in  Section  1, 
he  shall  have  the  right  to  do  so,  and  for  th^e  purpose  of  making  said  tests 
and  determining  the  amount  of  gas  taken  therefrom,  he  shall  have  access 
to  all  wells  and  to  all  well  records,  and  all  companies,  contractors,  drillers, 
lessees  or  owners  of  the  land  upon  which  said  well  or  wells  are  located 
shall  permit  said  Gas  Inspector  or  his  deputy  to  come  upon  any  lease  or 
property  owned  or  controlled  by  them,  and  to  inspect  any  and  all  wells  and 
the  records  of  said  wells,  and  to  have  access  at  all  times  to  all  wells  and 
to  any  and  all  records  of  said  wells  used,  owned  or  operated  by  any  per- 
son, firm  or  corporation  or  the  lessees  or  owners  of  the  land  upon  which 
said  wells  are  located. 

Section  6.  Uniform  rules  of  procedure  shall  be  followed  by  said  Gas 
Inspector  in  making  the  tests  hereinabove  set  out,  so  that  all  wells  tested 
by  him  under  this  Act  shall  be  upon  the  said  basis  and  under  like  condi- 
tions, to  the  end  that  all  wells  shall  show  accurately  their  rock  pressure  and 
volume  as  closed  in  at  the  time  said  tests  are  made,  and  shall  be  tested 
under  similar  conditions. 

Section  7.  In  addition  to  the  annual  test  provided  for  in  Section  1, 
it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Gas  Inspector,  within  ten  days  after  the  gas 
from  any  well  is  being  used  or  marketed,  to  make  a  test  of  said  wells,  as 
provided  for  in  Section  2,  and  to  make  out  and  file  his  report  of  said  test 
with  the  County  Clerk  of  the  county  in  which  said  well  is  located,  as  pro- 
vided in  said  Section  2. 

Section  8.  When  the  gas  from  any  well  is  being  used,  the  flow  of 
production  thereof  shall  be  restrained  to  twenty  per  cent  of  the  potential 
capacity  of  said  well;  that  is  to  say,  in  any  day  of  twenty-four  hours, 
the  well  shall  not  be  permitted  to  flow  or  produce  more  than  twenty  per 
cent,  of  the  open  flow  capacity  of  said  well,  as  shown  by  the  last  test  of 
said  well  made  by  the  Gas  Inspector. 

Provided  that  whenever  the  rock  pressure  of  any  well,  when  tested 
as  provided  in  Section  2,  is  reduced  to  one  hundred  pounds,  by  putting  gas 
into  the  pipe  line  under  its  own  volition  or  pressure,  the  provisions  of  this 
Section  shall  not  apply. 

Section  9.  All  gas  produced  from  gas  wells  drilled  in  this  State,  when 
sold  or  used  from  said  well,  shall  be  accurately  metered  through  proper 
devices,  in  order  to  determine  the  amount  of  gas  taken  from  said  well,  which 
said  meters  shall  be  read  at  least  once  in  every  forty-eight  hours,  for  the 
purpose  of  determining  the  amount  of  gas  taken  from  each  well,  and  such 
meter  readings  shall  be  subject  to  the  examination  of  the  Gas  Inspector  or 
any  other  person  interested,  for  the  purpose  of  determining  whether  or 
not  the  amount  of  gas  being  taken  from  said  well  is  in  excess,  of  twenty 
per  cent  of  the  dailv  open  flow  of  the  well  as  shown  by  the  last  test  made 
of  said  well  by  tV>e  Gas  Inspector,  provided  that  when  the  rock  pressure  of 
any  well  falls  below  one  hundred,  this  section  shall  not  apply. 

Section  10.  All  oil  or  gas  sands,  even  though  unproductive  of  oil  or 
gas  in  the  well  being  drilled,  if  known  to  produce  oil  or  gas  in  any  field, 
shall  be  protected  by  judding  off  such  known  oil  or  gas  sand  by  the  use  of 


MINERALS    IN    ARKANSAS  137 

mudladen  fluid,  or  any  other  effective  method,  in  the  discretion  of  the  Gas 
Inspector. 

Section  11.  Whenever  a  packer  or  tubing  used  to  shut  in  the  gas  in  any 
well  does  not  effectively  shut  off  the  oil,  gas  or  water  in  the  strata  in 
which  they  occurred,  said  well  shall  be  filled  outside  of  the  tubing  from  the 
packer  to  the  next  producing  sand  with  mudladen  fluid  of  a  maximum  den- 
sity of  at  least  twenty-five  per  cent  and  the  well  shall  be  equipped  with 
what  is  commonly  known  as  a  Braden  Head  or  any  other  device  that  will 
prevent  the  escape  of  gas  provided  that  if  the  next  producing  sand  is  not 
profitable,  then  it  may  be  filled  as  above  provided  to  the  top,  at  the  dis- 
cretion of  the  Gas  Inspector. 

Section  12.  Before  any  person,  firm,  corporation  or  contractor  shall 
commence  to  drill  a  well  for  gas  or  oil,  a  separate  slush-pit  or  slump-hole 
shall  be  constructed  by  the  owner,  operator  or  contractor,  for  reception  of 
all  pumpings  or  sand-balings  taken  from  the  well,  in  order  to  have  the 
same  on  hand  for  the  purpose  of  making  mud-laden  fluid  to  be  used  as  pro- 
vided in  Sections  10  and  11. 

Section  13.  Any  person,  firm  or  corporation  violating  any  of  the  pro- 
visions of  Sections  8,  9,  10  and  11  of  this  Act  shall  be  subject  to  a  penalty 
of  not  less  than  One  Hundred  Dollars  nor  more  than  One  Thousand  Dollars 
for  the  first  conviction  for  violating  the  provisions  of  said  sections,  and 
for  the  second  conviction,  to  a  penalty  of  not  less  than  Two  Hundred  Dol- 
lars nor  more  than  One  Thousand  Dollars — and  for  the  third  conviction,  to 
a  penalty  of  not  less  than  Five  Hundred  Dollars  or  imprisonment  in  the 
county  jail  for  not  less  than  thirty  days,  or  both  such  penalty  and  imprison- 
ment. 

The  penalties  provided  for  herein  to  be  recovered  in  an  action  there- 
for, brought  by  the  Prosecuting  Attorney  in  the  name  of  the  State,  to- 
gether with  a  reasonable  attorney's  fee  for  the  Prosecuting  Attorney  to 
be  fixed  by  the  court,  and  recovered  in  the  same  manner  and  in  the  same 
action. 

The  proceeds  of  penalties  collected  shall  be  turned  in  to  the  General 
Road  fund  of  the  county  wherein  occurred,  to  be  used  on  the  roads,  bridges 
and  highways  of  said  county,  in  the  discretion  of  the  County  Court,  and 
the  attorney's  fee  shall  be  paid  over  to  such  prosecuting  attorney. 

Section  14.  This  Act  being  necessary  for  the  immediate  preservation 
of  the  public  peace,  health  and  safety,  shall  take  effect  and  be  in  force 
and  effect  from  and  after  its  passage. 


Right  of  Eminent  Domain  to  Pipe  Line  Companies 

(Act  239 — Acts  of  General  Assembly,  1921.) 

Section  1.  That  all  pipe  line  companies  operating  in  this  state  are 
hereby  given  the  right  of  eminent  domain  and  are  declared  common  car- 
riers, except  pipe  lines  operated  for  conveying  natural  gas  for  public  utility 
service.  All  gas  lines  or  companies  operating  within  the  state  who  render 
a  domestic  or  general  service  to  the  public  in  furnishing  and  sale  of  gas 
are  hereby  required  to  buy  or  furnish  from  the  lowest  or  most  advantageous 
market.  Failure  to  do  so  shall  deprive  them  of  the  difference  in  price  be- 
tween such  market  and  the  one  of  which  purchases  are  made. 

Section  2.  That  the  procedure  to  be  followed  in  the  exercise  of  the 
right  shall  be  the  same  as  prescribed  in  Section  3992-4003  of  Crawford  & 
Moses'  Digest  relating  to  railroad  companies,  telegraph  companies  and  tele- 
phone companies. 

(Digest  of  Arkansas  Statutes,  1921.) 

Section  3969.  Pipe  lines — right  of  way.  Any  corporation  organized  by 
virtue  of  the  laws  of  this  state,  for  the  purpose  of  developing  and  produc- 
ing mineral  oil,  or  petroleum,  or  natural  gas  in  this  state,  and  marketing 
the  same,  or  transporting  or  conveying  the  same  by  means  of  pipes  from  the 
point  of  production  to  any  other  point,  either  to  refine  or  to  market  such 
oil,  or  to  conduct  such  gas  to  any  point  or  points  to  be  used  for  heat  or  lights, 
may  construct,  operate  and  maintain  a  line  or  lines  of  pipes  for  that  pur- 
pose along  and  under  the  public  highways  and  the  streets  of  cities  and 
towns,  or  across  and  under  the  waters  and  over  any  lands  of  the  state  and 


138  MINERALS    IN    ARKANSAS 

on  the  lands  of  individuals,  and  along,  under,  or  parallel  with  the  rights- 
of-way  of  railroads,  and  the  turnpikes  of  this  state;  provided,  that  the 
ordinary  use  of  such  highways,  turnpikes  and  railroad  rights-of-way  be  not 
obstructed  thereby,  or  the  navigation  of  any  waters  impeded,  and  that 
just  compensation  be  paid  to  the  owners  of  such  lands,  railroad  rights-of- 
way,  or  turnpike,  by  reason  of  the  occupation  of  such  lands,  railroad  rights- 
of-way,  or  turnpikes  by  said  pipe  line  or  lines. 

Section  3970.  Procedure...  In  the  event  any  such  company  shall  fail 
upon  application  to  individuals,  railroads,  or  turnpike  companies  to  secure 
such  right-of-way  by  consent,  contract,  or  agreement,  then  such  corporation 
shall  have  the  right  to  proceed  to  procure  the  condemnation  of  such  prop- 
erty, lands,  rights,  privileges,  and  easements  in  the  manner  now  provided 
by  law  for  taking  private  property  for  rights-of-way  for  railroads  as  pro- 
vided by  Sections  3S92-4002,  inclusive. 

Section  3971.  Right  to  enter  and  survey.  Whenever  any  such  cor- 
poration shall  desire  to  construct  such  pipe  line  or  lines  upon  or  under 
the  lands  of  individuals,  or  right-of-way  of  any  railroad,  or  any  turnpike, 
said  corporation,  by  its  agents,  shall  have  the  right  to  enter  peacefully  upon 
said  lands  or  rights-of-way  and  survey,  locate  and  lay  out  its  said  pipe 
lines  thereon,  being  liable,  however,  for  any  damage  that  may  result  by 
reason  of  such  acts,  and  shall  designate  on  a  plat  or  map  to  be  made  and 
filed  with  the  county  clerk  of  the  county,  the  width  of  the  strip  of  land 
needed  to  be  condemned  for  its  purposes,  its  location  and  the  depth  to 
which  such  pipes  are  to  be  laid. 

Section  3972.  Injury  to  pipes — penalty.  Any  person  or  persons  who 
shall  injure  or  molest  any  such  pipe  or  pipes  so  used  for  the  transporta- 
tion of  such  oil  or  gas  shall  be  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor,  and  on  conviction 
be  fined  in  any  sum  not  to  exceed  two  hundred  dollars;  but,  should  such 
injury  be  done  wilfully,  and  be  of  such  a  character  as  to  cause  such  pipes 
to  be  so  damaged  that  such  oil  or  gas  shall  escape  and  cause  damage,  either 
to  the  company  or  individuals,  or  other  corporations,  then  such  person  or 
persons  shall  be  guilty  of  felony,  and  on  conviction  thereof,  shall  be  fined 
not  to  exceed  one  thousand  dollars  and  confined  in  the  penitentiary  not 
more  than  five  years. 


Taxation  of  Pipe  Lines 

Section  9976.  Any  person  or  corporation,  wherever  organized  or  In- 
corporated, engaged  in  the  business  of  transmitting  oil  and  gas  in  pipe  lines 
through  or  in  this  state;  or  owning  pipe  or  pipe  lines  for  such  purposes  in 
this  state,  shall  be  deemed  to  be  a  pipe  line  company.  Such  companies  shall 
be  assessed  for  taxation  by  the  Arkansas  Tax  Commission. 

Section  9977.  It  is  made  the  duty  of  every  *  *  *  pipe  line  company, 
wherever  organized  or  incorporated,  and  carrying  on  a  business  in  this 
state,  on  the  first  Monday  in  July,  any  year,  to  make  out  and  file  with  the 
Arkansas  Tax  Commission  a  statement  showing  in  detail  the  following. 

1.  A  copy  of  the  articles  of  incorporation,  under  which  the  company 
is  organized  and  carrying  on  business;  said  copy  to  be  filed  but  once  un- 
less the  Commission  should  otherwise  direct; 

2  The  amount  of  capital  stock  subscribed,  whether  designated  as  com- 
mon or  preferred,  or  by  any  other  description,  showing  the  par  value  of  each 
share  and  the  market  value  thereof  on  the  first  Monday  in  June  of  said 
year; 

3  The  face  value  of  all  bonds,  secured  by  mortgages  on  the  company's 
property,  outstanding  and  the  market  or  actual  value  of  such  bonds: 

4  The  total  number  of  miles  of  pipe  lines  owned  or  operated  within 
and  without  this  state  by  any  such  pipe  line  company  in  the  transaction  of 
its  business. 

Section  1806.  Foreign  pipe  line  companies  doing  intrastate  business 
are  required  to  pay  the  same  fees  as  are  prescribed  for  such  corporations 
organized  under  the  laws  of  this  state. 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  13* 

For  Protection  of  Pipe  Lines 

(Digest  of  the  Statutes  of  Arkansas,  1921) 

Section  2480.  Setting  fire  to  escaping  gas.  It  is  hereby  declared  to 
be  unlawful  for  any  person  or  persons  to  set  on  fire  any  gas  escaping  from 
wells  or  from  broken  or  leaking  mains,  pipes,  valves,  or  other  appliances, 
used  by  any  person,  company  or  corporation  in  conveying  gas  to  con- 
sumers, or  to  tap  any  pipe  or  main  for  the  purpose  of  taking  and  stealing 
gas  therefrom,  or  to  interfere  in  any  manner  with  wells,  pipes,  mains, 
gate  boxes,  valves,  stopcocks  or  other  appliances,  machinery  or  other 
property  of  any  person,  company  or  corporation  engaged  in  furnishing  gas 
to  consumers,  unless  employed  by,  and  acting  under  the  authority  and  di- 
rection of  such  person,  company  or  corporation  furnishing  gas  to  con- 
sumers. 

Section  2481.  Extension  of  gas  pipe  without  permission.  It  is  hereby 
declared  unlawful  for  any  person,  in  any  manner  whatever,  to  change,  ex- 
tend or  alter,  or  cause  to  be  changed,  extended  or  altered,  any  service  or 
other  pipe  or  attachment  of  any  kind,  by  or  through  which  natural  or 
artificial  gas  is  furnished  from  the  gas  mains,  or  pipes'  of  any  person,  com- 
pany or  corporation  without  first  securing  *  *  *  written  permission  to 
make  such  change,  extension  or  alteration. 


Requiring  Release  of  Forfeited  Leases 

(Act  192,  General  Assembly,  1921) 

Section  1.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  every  person  holding  an  oil,  gas  or 
other  mineral  lease  for  prospecting  and  exploiting  for  oil,  gas  or  other 
minerals,  upon  any  real  estate  in  the  State  of  Arkansas,  upon  forfeiting  the 
right  to  further  prospecting  on  such  lands,  by  failure  to  pay  any  rental,  or 
to  perform  any  condition  imposed  on  the  lessee,  or  otherwise  forfeiting 
such  rights  under  said  lease,  upon  notice  hereinafter  prescribed  by  the 
lessor,  to  execute  a  release  to  the  grantor,  or  otherwise  remove  any  cloud 
or  incumbrance  on  the  title  to  such  lands  by  reason  of  any  such  forfeited 
lease. 

Section  2.  Any  owner  of  lands  upon  which  a  lease  for  the  develop- 
ment of  oil  or  gas,  or  other  minerals,  has  been  given  and  the  lessee  for- 
feits his  rights  at  any  time  to  further  prospect  for  such  minerals  upon 
said  lands,  by  reason  of  a  failure  to  pay  periodical  rentals  or  to  perform 
other  conditions  that  nullify  the  lease  as  to  lessee's  rights  therein  (may 
give)  written  notice,  served  in  the  manner  of  a  legal  summons  upon  the 
lessee  demanding  that  said  lessee  execute  and  place  on  record  a  release 
which  in  effect  will  remove  any  cloud  existing  upon  the  title  of  such 
lands;  upon  failure  of  said  lessee  to  comply  with  said  notice  he  shall  be 
liable  to  the  lessor  or  owner  of  said  lands  in  damages  in  whatever  sum 
the  owner  of  such  lands  may  sustain  by  reason  of  said  cloud  or  incum- 
brance upon  said  lands  after  thirty  days  from  the  service  of  said  notice. 


Guardians  of  Wards  May  Release  Mineral  Rights. 

(Act  174,  General  Assembly,  1921) 

When  it  shall  appear  that  it  would  be  for  the  benefit  of  the  ward, 
that  his  or  her  lands,  or  any  part  thereof,  be  leased  for  the  production  of 
oil,  gas,  coal,  zinc,  lead,  copper  or  other  minerals  or  metals  therefrom, 
his  or  her  guardian,  or  curator,  may  lease  the  same  upon  obtaining  an  order 
from  the  court  of  probate  of  the  county  in  which  such  lands  or  the  greater 
part  thereof  shall  be  situated. 

(Digest  of  the  Statutes  of  Arkansas,  1921) 

Section  5872.  When  a  non-resident  lunatic  or  person  of  unsound  mi^id, 
incapable  of  conducting  his  own  affairs,  owns  real  property  in  this  State 
and  has  a  guardian  or  curator  in  the  State  where  he  resides,  the  court  of 
probate  of  the  county  where  such  lands  or  the  greater  part  thereof  are  (is) 
situated  may  authorize  such  guardian  or  curator  to  lease  said  lands  or  any 
part  thereof  for  the  production  of  oil  or  gas  upon  securing  an  order  from 
the  probate  court  and  complying  with  the  terms  and  provisions  of  this  act. 


140  MINERALS  IN  ARKANSAS 

Synopsis  of  Oil  and  Gas  Inspection  Laws. 

(Digest  Statutes  of  Arkansas,  1921) 

Section  5900.  Creates  office  of  inspector  of  the  petroleum  oils  kero- 
sene and  gasoline,  etc.;  offered  for  sale  or  sold  for  illumination,  heating 
power  purposes  in  Arkansas,  for  a  period  of  30  years;  to  be  appointed  by 
the  governor;  inspector  shall  be  a  resident  of  the  State  and  shall  be  ap- 
pointed for  a  term  of  four  years;  he  shall  give  a  bond  in  the  sum  of 
$25,000.  Said  inspector  with  the  approval  of  the  governor  shall  appoint 
not  to  exceed  six  deputies  whose  salaries  shall  not  exceed  $100  a  month; 
these  inspectors  to  be  located  at  convenient  places  within  the  State;  pro- 
vides office  clerk  at  salary  not  to  exceed  $1200  a  year;  salary  of  inspector 
fixed  at  $3000  a  year;  deputy  inspectors  have  powers  and  duties  and  are 
subject  to  the  same  penalties  as  the  inspector;  bonds  required  of  deputies; 
deputies  shall  make  report  to  the  inspector  on  the  first  and  sixteenth  of  each 
month;  showing  in  detail  all  the  inspections  made,  the  stamps  and  cer- 
tificates on  hand,  received  and  issued. 

Section  5901.  Duty  of  owner,  manufacturer,  wholesale  dealer  or  job- 
ber, in  any  of  the  oils  or  fluids  to  inspect  the  same  or  cause  the  same  to 
be  inspected  in  any  quantities,  from  one  barrel  to  car  tank,  before  the  said 
oils  or  fluids  are  sold,  and  shall  at  the  time  of  making  the  inspection 
thereof  attach  to  the  car,  can,  cask  or  barrel  or  other  vessel  containing 
said  oils,  a  stamp  or  stamps  sufficient  in  amount  to  show  the  payment  of 
all  fees  required  by  this  article;  stamps  to  be  cancelled;  unlawful  to  use 
cancelled  stamps;  each  vessel  shall  also  bear  a  certificate  stating  that  the 
contents  have  been  inspected.  The  fire  test  of  all  petroleums  or  kerosene 
oils  for  illuminating  purposes  shall  be  equal  to  a  test  prescribed  in  the  suc- 
ceeding section. 

Section  5902.  'Inspector  shall  use  Taglibue's  or  other  similar  instru- 
ments; methods  of  making  tests  defined  in  detail. 

Section  5903.  None  of  the  substances  which  ignite  or  burn  at  any 
temperature  less  than  150  degrees  P.  shall  be  offered  for  sale  or  use;  pro- 
vided however,  that  it  shall  be  lawful  to  sell  any  of  the  fluids  in  the  form 
of  vapor  or  gas,  regardless  of  the  degree  of  the  fire  test. 

Section  5904.     Provides  methods  of  testing  gasoline  oils. 

Section  5905.     Inspectors  and  deputies  shall  make  oath. 

Section  5906.  Fees  for  inspection;  for  each  barrel  or  smaller  article, 
12  cents;  in  bulk  one-eighth  of  a  cent  per  gallon. 

Section  5907.  Inspector  authorized  to  rent  suitable  offices  for  deputies 
wherever  located. 

Section  5908.  Duty  of  persons  bringing  oil  into  the  State  to  provide 
inspection  before  oil  is  offered  for  sale  and  pay  the  inspection  fee  by  means 
of  stamps;  inspector  or  deputy,  when  called  upon,  shall  as  soon  as  prac- 
ticable make  inspection. 

Section  5909.  Inspector  or  deputy  have  power  to  make  inspection  and 
test  of  any  oils  wherever  found,  right  to  administer  oaths  and  to  inspect 
any  and  all  records  having  reference  to  the  receiving,  forwarding  or  trans- 
portation of  any  such  oils  or  gasolines;  duty  to  prosecute  violations. 

Section  5910.  State  Treasurer  shall  provide  suitable  and  inimitable 
certificates  and  stamps,  in  proper  form,  and  upon  application  deliver 
them  to  the  inspector  or  deputy  in  quantities  necessary  to  meet  the  de- 
mands, taking  a  receipt  and  charging  same  to  the  official  receiving  them; 
and  the  State  Treasurer  from  time  to  time,  as  said  inspectors  make 
returns  shall  cerdit  their  accounts  and  keep  a  true  and  correct  record 
of  the  dealings.  The  stamps  shall  be  made  in  denominations,  as  required, 
but  not  less  than  12  cents  and  not  more  than  $12,  each  series  to  be  pro- 
gressively numbered. 

Section  5911.  Inspectors  and  deputies  may  be  removed  for  neglect 
of  duty  and  held  on  their  bonds  for  an  adjustment  of  these  stamp  ac- 
counts; also  liable  under  criminal  law. 

Section  5912.  No  inspector  or  deputy  shall,  while  in  office  be  interested 
directly  or  indirectly  in  the  manufacture  or  sale  of  oils  or  gasoline,  nor 
shall  he  for  the  purpose  of  inspection,  take  away  for  his  own  use  or  the 
use  of  others,  any  part  or  portion  of  said  oils. 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS  141 

Section  5913.  Inspectors  and  deputies  shall  keep  a  correct  record  of 
all  oils  and  fluids  inspected  and  of  all  stamps,  certificates  and  other  prop- 
erty coming  into  his  hands,  and  this  record  shall  be  open  to  public  inspec- 
tion; detailed  reports  to  be  made  annually  to  the  Governor;  all  money 
collected  as  inspection  fees  shall  be  remitted  once  each  month  to  ihe  State 
Treasurer. 

Section  5914.  Governor  sliall  fill  vacancy  in  office  of  inspector;  in- 
spectors to  fill  vacanc  es  in  offices  o?  deputies  but  the  term  of  no  deputy 
shall  extend  beyond  that  of  the  inspector. 

Section  5915.  Penalty  for  persons,  firms  or  corporations  who  fail  to 
comply  with  the  provisions  of  this  act. 

Section  5916.  .When  shipments  of  oil  are  received  the  dealer  shall  at; 
once  notify  the  chief  inspector  or  one  of  his  deputies  of  the  quantity  and 
request  inspection.  If  for  any  reason  a  prompt  inspection  is  impossible  the 
dealer  or  his  agent  may  subject  said  products  to  the  test  prescribed  in 
this  act  and  on  furnishing  the  inspector  or  his  deputy  an  affidavit  that  said 
oils  have  met  the  requirements  of  the  test,  he  shall  be  entitled  to  re- 
ceive stamps  showing  the  inspection  has  been  made,  and  when  said 
stamp  is  placed  en  the  vessel  and  cancelled,  the  oil  or  gasoline  may  be 
sold  the  same  as  if  it  had  been  inspected  by  the  oil  inspector  or  his  deputy. 

Section  5917.  Auditor  authorized  to  issue  warrants  from  the  fund 
created  by  the  fees  paid  into  the  treasury  under  the  provisions  of  this  act, 
for  the  payment  of  salaries  and  expenses;  only  expenses  allowed,  in  addi- 
tion to  office  expenses,  shall  be  those  necessarily  incurred  for  making 
inspections  at  places  other  than  where  the  inspector  or  deputies  shall  be 
located. 

Section  5918.  Duty  of  railroads  or  their  agents  at  place  of  destination, 
to  notify  State  Inspector  of  arrival  and  delivery  of  all  car  tanks  containing 
any  of  the  fluids  mentioned  in  this  article  for  inspection,  giving  the  number, 
initial  and  capacity  of  such  car;  penalty  for  non-compliance. 


Synopsis  of  Arkansas  Blue  Sky  Law 

(FROM  ACT  242,  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY,  1915— AND  AMENDMENTS.) 
AN  ACT  to  prevent  fraud  in  the  sale  and  disposition  of  contracts,  stocks, 
bonds,  or  other  securities  sold  or  offered  for  sale  within  the  State  of 
Arkansas  by  any  dealer,  firm,  company,  association  or  corporation,  for- 
eign or  domestic,  by  requiring  an  inspection  of  such  contracts,  stocks, 
bonds,  or  other  securities  and  an  inspection  of  the  business  of  such  per- 
sons, firms,  companies,  associations  or  corporations,  including  dealers 
and  agents,  and  such  regulation  and  supervision  of  the  business  of  said 
persons,  firms,  companies,  associations  or  corporations,  including  dealers 
and  agents  as  may  be  necessary  to  prevent  fraud  in  the  sale  within  this 
Stfcte  of  any  contracts,  stocks,  bonds,  or  other  securities,  and  to  provide 
a  penalty  for  the  violation  thereof. 

Bank    Commissioner    Executive    Officer. 

Section  1.  State  Bank  Commissioner  delegated  with  full  power  to 
supervise  and  enforce  the  provisions  of  Act  and  make  such  rules  and  regu- 
lations as  may  be  necessary. 

Investment    Company    Defined. 

Section  2.  Every  person,  corporation,  co-partnership,  company  or  as- 
sociation (except  those  elsewhere  exempted),  which  shall  sell  or  negotiate 
for  the  sale  of  any  contract,  stock,  bonds  or  other  securities,  within  the 
State,  shall  be  known  for  the  purpose  of  this  Act  as  a  domestic  investment 
company;  if  a  resident  of  or  organized  in  any  other  state,  they  shall  be 
known  as  a  foreign  investment  company. 

Exempts  Certain  Classes  of  Securities. 

Section  3.  Provisions  shall  not  apply  to  securities  of  the  United  States, 
or  any  foreign  government;  or  any  state  or  territory  thereof,  or  of  any 
county,  city,  township,  district,  or  other  public  taxing  subdivisions  of  any 
state  or  territory  of  the  United  States,  or  any  foreign  government;  unse- 
cured commercial  paper;  securities  of  A  public  or  quasi-public  corpora- 
tions, the  issue  of  which  is  regulated  by  the  Arkansas  Railroad  Commission 


142  MINERALS    IN    ARKANSAS 

or  by  any  public  service  commission  or  board  of  legal  authority  of  any 
state  or  territory  of  the  United  States  or  securities  senior  thereto;  secur- 
ities of  State  or  National  banks  or  trust  companies;  securities  of  any  domes- 
tic corporation  organized  without  capital  stock,  and  not  for  pecuniary 
gain,  or  exclusively  for  educational,  benevolent,  charitable,  or  reformatory 
purposes;  mortgages  upon  real  or  personal  property  situated  in  this  state 
where  the  entire  mortgage  is  sold  and  transferred  with  the  note  or  notes 
secured  by  such  mortgage;  increase  of  stock  sold  and  issued  to  stock- 
holders, also  stock  dividend",  securities  which  are  listed  in  any  standard  man- 
ual of  information  approved  by  the  said  Bank  Commissioner;  provided,  how- 
ever that  said  Bank  Commissioner  shall  have  power  to  call  for  additional 
and  further  information  that  contained  in  such  manuals  with  reference 
to  any  securities  listed  therein;  and  may,  pending  the  filing  of  such  In- 
formation, suspend  the  sale  of  such  securities,  and  also  suspend,  either 
temporarily  or  permanently,  the  sale  of  any  securities  listed  in  such  man- 
uals after  a  hearing  upon  notice  to  the  issuer  of  such  securities  of  said 
Bank  Commissioner  shall  find  that  the  sale  of  such  securities  would  work 
a  fraud  upon  the  purchaser  thereof. 

Methods  of  Applications  and  Fees. 

Section  4.  Before  selling,  offering  for  sale,  taking  subscriptions  for, 
or  negotiating  for  the  sale  in  any  manner  whatsoever  in  the  state,  any  con- 
tracts, stocks,  bonds  or  other  securities  of  its  own  issue,  every  investment 
company,  domestic  or  foreign,  shall  file  in  the  office  of  the  Bank  Commis- 
sioner a  statement  showing  in  full  detail  the  plan  upon  which  it  proposes 
to  transact  business,  a  copy  of  all  contracts,  stocks,  bonds,  or  other  instru- 
ments which  it  proposes  to  make  with  or  sell  to,  its  contributors  or  cus- 
tomers, together  with  a  copy  of  its  prospectus,  and  of  the  proposed  ad- 
vertisements of  its  sale  of  stocks,  bonds  or  other  securities,  with  name 
and  location  of  main  office,  name  and  addresses  of  its  officers,  and  an 
itemized  account  of  its  financial  condition  and  of  its  assets  and  liabilities, 
and  such  other  information  as  the  Bank  Commissioner  may  require.  If  a 
co-partnership  or  unincorporated  association,  such  investment  company 
shall  also  file  a  copy  of  its  articles  of  co-partnership  or  association  and  all 
other  papers  pertaining  to  its  organization.  If  a  corporation  organized 
under  the  laws  of  Arkansas,  it  shall  also  file  a  copy  of  its  articles  of  in- 
corporation, constitution  and  by-laws  and  all  other  papers  pertaining  to 
its  organization.  If  organized  under  the  laws  of  any  other  state,  territory 
or  government,  incorporated  or  unincorporated,  it  shall  also  file  a  copy  of 
the  laws  under  which  it  exists,  and  also  a  copy  of  its  charter  and  the  certifi- 
cate showing  that  it  is  authorized  to  transact  business  there;  and  also  copies 
of  its  constitution  and  by-laws  of  all  amendments  of  any  of  the  above  men- 
tioned instruments  which  have  been  made,  and  of  all  other  papers  per- 
taining to  its  organization.  It  shall  also  pay  a  filing  fee  of  one-tenth  per 
cent  upon  the  face  value  of  the  securities  for  the  sale  of  which  application 
is  made;  provided  such  filing  fee  shall  not  be  more  than  $100,  nor  less 
than  $10. 

Section  5     Papers  shall  be  verified  by  oath. 

Consent    For   Service   of   Process. 

Section  6  Every  foreign  corporation  before  offering  for  sale  any  of 
its  stocks,  bonds,  or  other  securities  shall  file  its  irrevocable  written  con- 
sent that  suits  and  actions  may  be  commenced  against  it  in  the  proper 
courts  of  any  county  in  this  state  in  which  a  cause  of  action  may  arise, 
or  in  which  the  plaintiff  may  reside,  by  the  service,  of  any  process  of 
pleading  authorized  by  the  laws  of  this  state. 

May    Require   Additional    Information. 

Section  7.  The  said  Bank  Commissioner  shall  have  power  to  demand 
from  any  investment  company  seeking  to  come  under  the  provisions  of 
this  act  any  further  information  necessary  to  qualify  him  to  pass  upon 
all  questions  that  may  come  before  him.  He  may  make  an  examination  of 
the  company's  property,  business  and  affairs,  at  the  expense  of  the  ap- 
plicant; he  may  cause  an  appraisal  to  be  made  at  the  expense  of  the  in- 


MINERALS  IN  ARKANSAS  143 

vestment  company,  of  the  property,  including  the  value  of  patents,  good 
will,  promotion  and  intangible  assets,  and  he  may  fix  the  amount  of  stocks, 
bonds,  or  other  securities  that  may  be  issued  by  any  corporation  in  pay- 
ment for  property,  patents,  good  will,  promotion  and  intangible  assets 
at  the  value  he  shall  find  same  to  be  worth  and  may  require  that  such 
stocks,  bonds  or  other  securities  so  issued  for  such  property,  etc..  shall  be 
deposited  in  escrow  under  such  terms  as  he  may  prescribe.  And  said  Bank 
Commissioner  may  withhold  his  certificate  of  authority  to  sell  such  stocks, 
bonds  or  other  securities  if  such  corporation  has  issued  stocks,  etc.,  for 
such  purpose  in  excess  of  their  value  as  found  by  said  Bank  Commissioner, 
or  if  such  stocks,  bonds  or  other  securities  are  not  deposited  in  escrow  ac- 
cording to  the  terms  fixed  by  the  Bank  Commissioner,  until  such  stocks, 
bonds  or  other  securities  issued  in  payment  for  property,  patents,  good 
will,  promotion  and  intangible  assets  in  excess  of  the  value  so  found  by 
said  Bank  Commissioner  has  been  surrendered  to  such  corporation  and 
canceled  by  it,  and  until  the  said  stock  has  been  deposited  in  escrow  un- 
der the  terms  prescribed  by  said  Bank  Commissioner. 

Shall    Issue    Permit,   if    Found    Not    Fraudulent. 

Section  8.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  said  Bank  Commissioner  to  examine 
the  statements  and  documents  filed  in  his  office  by  any  investment  com- 
pany and  the  reports  of  any  investigation  conducted  under  the  direction 
of  said  Bank  Commissioner  and  to  hear  such  applicant  and  he  shall  have 
power  to  examine  under  oath  any  person  interested  or  connected  with 
such  investment  company,  and  if  he  finds  that  the  proposed  contracts, 
stocks,  bonds  or  other  securities  are  fraudulent  or  of  such  nature  that  the 
sale  thereof  would  work  a  fraud  upon  the  purchaser,  then  the  said  Bank 
Commissioner  shall  disapprove  the  sale  of  such  proposed  contracts,  etc., 
and  shall  notify  such  investment  company  by  registered  mail  .of  his  find- 
ings, and  it  shall  be  unlawful  for  such  company  to  do  any  further  busi- 
ness in  the  way  of  selling,  offering  for  sale  in  any  manner  whatever  of 
any  such  contracts,  stocks,  bonds  or  other  securities  in  this  state.  If,  how- 
ever, such  Bank  Commissioner  shall  not  find  that  the  proposed,  plan  of 
business,  contracts,  etc.,  are  fraudulent  or  are  of  such  nature  that  the 
sale  thereof  would,  in  the  opinion  of  said  Bank  Commissioner  work  a 
fraud  upon  the  purchaser  thereof,  then  he  shall  approve  the  sale  of  same 
in  the  State  of  Arkansas  and  issue  his  certificate  in  substantially  the  fol- 
lowing language: 

"This  is  to  certify  that  the has  this  day  been  given  permis- 
sion to  sell  $ of  its  (stocks,  bonds  of  other  securities)  within  the 

State    of   Arkansas.      THE    BANK   COMMISSIONER   DOES    NOT    RECOM- 
MEND THE  PURCHASE  OF  THIS  SECURITY.    This day  of 

A.  D.  192 .     In  witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  affixed  the  seal  of  the 

Bank  Department.    Done  at  Little  Rock  this day  of  — — -^— — — — 

A.  D.  192 . 

(Seal)  Bank  Commissioner." 

The  words,  "The  Bank  Commissioner  does  not  recommend  the  purchase 
of  this  security,"  shall  be  printed  in  type  two  sizes  larger  than  any  other 
part  of  said  certificate  in  which  style  the  certificate  must  appear  if  used  in 
connection  with  any  advertising  matter. 

Dealer    Defined;    Regulations    Prescribed. 

Section  9.  Any  person,  firm,  co-partnership,  corporation  or  associa- 
tion, whether  domestic  or  foreign,  not  the  issuer,  who  shall  in  this  state  sell 
or  offer  for  sale  any  of  the  stocks,  bonds  or  other  securities  issued  by  any 
foreign  or  domestic  investment  company  except  the  securities  specificaally 
exempted  in  this  Act,  or  who  shall,  by  advertisement  or  otherwise,  pro- 
fess or  engage  in  the  business  of  selling  or  offering  for  sale  such  securities, 
shall  be  deemed  to  be  a  dealer,  and  no  dealer  shall  sell  or  offer  for  sale  any 
such  securities  or  profess  the  business  of  selling  or  offering  for  sale  such 
securities  unless  and  until  he  shall  have  filed  a  list  of  the  same  in  the  of- 
fice of  the  Bank  Commissioner.  The  term  dealer  shall  not  include  an  owner, 
nor  issuer,  of  such  securities  so  owned  by  him  when  such  sale  is  not  made 


144  MINERALS  IN  ARKANSAS 

in  the  course  of  continued  and  successive  transactions  of  a  similar  nature, 
nor  one  who,  in  a  trust  capacity  created  by  law,  lawfully  sells  any  secur- 
ities within  such  trust. 

How   Dealer  May  Be   Licensed. 

Section  10.  Dealer  must  first  register  with  the  Bank  Commissioner 
and  furnish  upon  oath  the  following  information:  Name,  residence  and 
business  address;  general  character  of  securities;  the  place  where  busi- 
ness is  to  be  conducted  within  this  state  and  the  names  and  addresses  of 
all  persons  in  charge  thereof.  Said  dealer  shall  pay  an  inspection  fee  of 
$50.  All  authorized  agents  of  any  dealer  shall  be  registered.  The  name  of 
any  agent  shall  be  stricken  from  the  register  upon  written  request  of  the 
dealer  and  additional  agents  may  be  registered  upon  request  accompanied 
with  the  fee  therefor,  provided,  that  no  agent  shall  act  as  such  until  reg- 
istered. 

If  the  dealer  be  a  foreign  corporation,  it  shall  at  the  time  it  registers 
file  a  written,  duly  authenticated  appointment  of  the  Bank  Commissioner 
of  this  State  as  its  agent  in  Arkansas  upon  whom  process  or  pleadings  may 
be  served  for  and  on  behalf  of  the  dealer  for  the  purposes  mentioned  in 
Section  6  and  such  appointment  shall  be  irrevocable. 

Upon  compliance  by  such  dealer  with  the  provisions  of  this  act  the  said 
Bank  Commissioner  shall  issue  to  him  a  certificate  of  authority  which 
shall  be  valid  for  one  year,  or  until  revoked  for  good  cause  upon  notice  to 
such  dealer  as  a  hearing  duly  had.  If  not  revoked  before  the  expiration 
of  one  year  such  certificate  may  be  renewed  upon  receipt  of  one  inspec- 
tion fee  of  $25. 

Registration    of   Agents. 

Section.  11.  In  addition  to  the  filing  fees  and  the  examination  fees 
there  shall  be  charged  a  fee  of  $2  for  the  registration  and  authorization  of 
each  agent  of  any  such  dealer  or  investment  company,  and  shall  be  valid 
until  March  1,  following  unless  sooner  revoked.  Fees  to  be  paid  into  the 
State  Treasury  and  applied  toward  the  payment  of  the  expenses  of  en- 
forcing this  Act.  The  expenses  of  said  Bank  Commissioner  shall  not,  how- 
ever, be  limited  to  the  money  received  by  him,  but  he  shall  have  power  to 
incur  all  expenses  he  finds  necessary  in  enforcing  the  provisions  hereof. 

Accounts  and   Examinations — Fees. 

Section  12.  The  general  accounts  of  every  investment  company  shall 
be  kept  in  a  business-like  and  intelligent  manner,  and  in  sufficient  detail 
that  said  Bank  Commissioner  can  ascertain  at  any  time  is  financial  con- 
dition and  the  books  of  accounts  shall  at  all  times  during  business  hours 
be  open  to  stockholders  and  investors  in  said  company,  or  the  said  Bank 
Commissioner,  and  all  such  investment  companies  shall  be  subject  to  ex- 
amination at  any  time  in  the  same  manner  as  is  now  provided  for  the 
examination  of  State  Banks,  and  such  investment  companies  other  than 
building  and  loan,  building,  or  building  and  savings  associations  shall  pay 
a  fee  for  each  such  examination  not  to  exceed  $10  per  day  or  fraction 
thereof  that  any  examiner  is  absent  from  the  capitol  building  for  the  pur- 
pose of  making  such  examination,  and  in  addition  thereto  shall  pay  the 
actual  hotel  and  jtraveling  expenses  of  such  authorized  examiner  from  Lit- 
tle Rock  and  return. 

The  Bank  Commissioner  shall  make  at  least  once  a  year  an  examina- 
tion of  all  building  and  loan,  building  ,or  building  and  savings,  associations 
doing  business  in  this  state  in  the  manner  now  provided  for  state  banks, 
and  such  associations  shall  pay  a  fee  of  not  to  exceed  $10  per  day  plus  10 
cents  per  each  one  thousand  dollars  or  fraction  thereof  of  its  assets,  pro- 
vided, that  in  no  event  the  charge  for  such  examination  exceed  $50,  if  a 
domestic  investment  company,  and  that  such  charge  may  not  exceed  $50 
plus  the  necessary  hotel  and  traveling  expenses  from  Little  Rock  and  re- 
turn if  such  association  be  a  foreign  corporation.  Failure  to  pay  such 
fees  shall  work  a  forfeiture  of  the  right  of  such  investment  company  to 
sell  or  offer  for  sale  any  of  its  stocks,  bonds  or  other  securities  in  this 
State.  The  same  fees  are  provided  for  the  preliminary  examination  of  any 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  145 

investment  company  to  ascertain  whether  it  shall  be  permitted  to  come 
under  the  provisions  of  this  act.  If  the  Bank  Commissioner  finds  that 
the 'further  sale  of  stocks,  etc.,  would  work  a  fraud  upon  the  purchaser  he 
may  revoke  the  license  of  such  company  upon  notice  duly  given  and  a 
hearing  duly  had  and  may,  pending  such  hearing,  suspend  the  right  of 
such  company  to  sell  its  securities. 

Unlawful  to  Do  Any  Business  Until  Law  Is  Complied  With. 

Section  13.  It  shall  be  unlawful  for  any  investment  company  or  dealer 
or  representative  thereof,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  to  sell  or  cause  to 
be  sold,  offer  for  sale,  take  subscriptions  for,  or  negotiate  for  sale  in  any 
manner  in  this  state  any  contracts,  stocks,  bonds  or  Other  securities  (except 
as  expressly  exempted  herein)  unless  and  until  said  Bank  Commissioner 
has  approved  thereof  and  issued  his  certificate  in  accordance  with  the  pro- 
visions of  this  Act,  nor  shall  it  be  lawful  for  any  such  investment  company 
to  transact  business  on  any  other  plan  other  than  that  set  forth  in  the 
statement  and  papers  required  to  be  filed  by  virtue  of  the  provisions  of 
the  Act  or  the  rules  of  the  Bank  Commissioner. 

Unlawful  for  any  investment  company  to  circulate  any  advertisement 
in  regard  to  its  stocks  differing  in  any  way  from  the  copy  filed  with  the 
Bank  Commissioner,  and  unlawful  for  any  newspaper  to  advertise  the  sale 
of  securities  not  approved  by  said  Bank  Commissioner,  or  which  are  not 
exempt  under  the  provisions  of  this  Act. 

Dealer  Shall  Not  Sell  Securities  Until  Law  is  Complied  With. 
Section  14.  No  dealer  shall  sell  any  securities  unless  such  invest- 
ment companies  have  fully  complied  with  the  provisions  of  this  Act,  nor  un- 
til said  dealer  shall  have  registered,  provided,  that  should  any  dealer  de- 
sire to  sell  the  securities  of  any  investment  company  which  has  not  itself 
complied  with  the  provisions  of  this  Act,  said  dealer  shall  make  applica- 
tion for  license  as  hereinbefore  provided  for  applications  by  investment 
companies  and  shall  pay  the  same  fee  required  to  be  paid  by  said  invest- 
ment companies. 

Information    Subject  to   Public   Inspection. 

Section  15.  All  information  obtained  by  the  Bank  Commissioner  with 
reference  to  any  securities  and  all  records  of  the  Bank  Commissioner  re- 
lating thereto  shall  be  open  to  examination  by  the  public  and  it  shall  be  the 
duty  of  the  Bank  Commissioner  to  preserve  such  information  and  so  classify 
and  arrange  it  as  to  facilitate  examination  and  inspection  thereof.  The 
Bank  Commissioner  may  publish  information  regarding  any  and  all  con- 
tracts, stocks,  bonds  or  other  securities  sold  or  offered  for  sale  in  this  state 
which  he  deems  would  be  of  public  interest  or  advantage. 

Does  Not  Repeal   Bank  or  Insurance  Laws. 

Section  16.  Nothing  in  this  Act  repeals  or  nullifies  any  law  giving  the 
State  Bank  Department  control  over  State  banks  or  the  Insurance  Com- 
missioner control  over  the  business  of  insurance  in  this  state  and  those  en- 
gaged therein. 

Penalty   For   False   Oath. 

Section  17.  Any  person  who  shall  make  or  cause  to  be  made  a  false 
statement  or  false  entry  in  any  book  of  any  investment  company,  or  who 
shall  exhibit  any  false  paper  for  the  purpose  of  deceiving  any  person  au- 
thorized to  examine  into  the  affairs  of  said  investment  company,  or  shall 
make  or  publish  any  false  statement  of  the  financial  condition  of  said  in- 
vestment company  or  false  statement  relating  to  the.  contracts,  stocks, 
bonds  or  other  securities  shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor  and 
shall  be  punished  as  hereinafter  provided. 

Copy   of   Records    May    Be    Furnished. 

Section  18.  The  Bank  Commissioner  shall  provide  for  the  furnishing 
of  those  who  may  apply  therefor  of  any  information  regarding  any  invest- 
ment company  or  its  affairs,  which  is  on  file  in  its  office,  and  charge  there- 


146  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

for  approximately  the  cost  of  preparing  such  information  and  50  cents 
for  each  certificate  of  authentication,  fees  to  be  paid  into  the  State  Treas- 
ury for  the  expense  of  carrying  this  Act  into  effect. 

Annual   Reports  Required. 

Section  19.  Every  investment  company  shall  file  during  the  months 
of  January  and  July  each  year  a  detailed  statement  in  such  form  and  con- 
taining such  information  as  the  Bank  Commissioner  may  prescribe,  show- 
ing its  condition  at  the  close  of  business  December  31  and  June  30,  preced- 
ing and  shall  at  the  same  time  pay  a  filing  fee  therefor  of  $2.50,  provided 
that  said  Bank  Commissioner  may  call  for  other  or  additional  reports  of 
any  kind  at  any  time  and  such  other  or  additional  reports  shall  be  filed 
within  20  days.  Building  and  loan  associations  shall  file  only  an  annual 
statement  as  of  December  31. 

Penalty   For   Not   Filing    Reports. 

Section  20.  Companies  failing  to  file  reports  shall  be  deemed  guilty 
of  a  misdemeanor  and  upon  conviction  thereof  shall  be  fined  in  any  sum 
not  to  exceed  $1,000  and  in  addition  thereto  their  authority  to  do  business 
in  Arkansas  may  be  canceled. 

Appeal  To  Chancery  Court. 

Section  21.  An  appeal  will  always  lie  to  the  Chancery  Court,  upon 
petition  of  any  person  aggrieved  and  upon  payment  of  the  costs  of  prepar- 
ing such  copies  of  papers  and  other  documents  desired  by  said  petitioner 
from  any  final  orders  of  the  Bank  Commissioner.  The  granting  of  an  ap- 
peal shall  not,  however,  unless  so  ordered  by  the  court,  operate  as  a  stay 
of  proceedings. 

General    Penalty    Prescribed. 

Section  22.  Any  persons  who  shall  violate  any  of  the  provisions  of 
this  Act  shall  be  deemed  guilty  of  a  misdemeanor,  and  upon  conviction 
thereof  shall  be  fined  not  more  than  $1,000,  or  may  be  imprisoned  in  the 
county  jail  for  not  more  than  one  year,  or  by  both  such  fine  and  imprison- 
ment. 

Constitutionality  Confined  To   Each   Section. 

Section  23.  Should  the  courts  of  this  state  or  of  the  United  States 
declare  any  section  or  provision  of  this  Act  unconstitutional  or  unauthor- 
ized, or  in  conflict  with  any  other  section  or  provision  of  this  Act,  then 
such  declaration  shall  affect  only  the  section  or  provision  so  declared  to 
be  unconstitutional  or  unauthorized,  or  if  in  conflict  only  such  provisions 
or  parts  as  are  so  held,  and  such  holding  shall  not  affect  any  other  section 
or  part  of  this  Act. 

Repeals    Laws    In    Conflict. 

Section  24.  All  laws  and  parts  of  laws  in  conflict  herewith,  and  par- 
ticularly Act  214  of  the  Legislature  of  1913,  in  its  entirety  are  hereby  re- 
pealed, and  this  Act  being  necessary  for  the  immediate  preservation  of  the 
public  peace,  health  and  safety,  shall  be  in  force  from  and  after  its  passage. 

Approved  March  24,  1915. 

Amendments  to  Sections  19  and  20  approved  March  26,  1921. 


MINERALS  IN  ARKANSAS  147 

List    of    Arkansas    Geological 
Survey    Publications 


FIRST  REPORT,  1857-1858. 

Geological  Reconnaissance   of  the  Northern  Counties  of  Arkansas,  by 
D.  D.  Owen. 

SECOND   REPORT,  1859-1860. 

Geological  Reconnaissance  of  the   Northern   Counties  of  Arkansas,  by 
D.  D.  Owens. 

ANNUAL   REPORT,  1871-1872. 

Geological  Reconnaissance  of  a  part  of  the  State  of  Arkansas  by  George 
Haddock. 

ANNUAL  REPORT  FOR  1888 

Vol.  I — Gold  and  Silver,  by  Theo.  B.  Comstock,  Pp.  xxxi,  320,  2  maps. 
Vol.  II— Mesozoic,  by  R.  T.  Hill.  Pp.  xiv,  319;  illustrated;  1  map. 
*Vol  III— Coal  (preliminary),  by  Arthur  Winslow,  Pp.  x,  120;  illustrated;   1 

map. 

*Vol  IV — Washington  County,  by  F.  W.  Simonds;  Plant  List,  by  J.  C.  Bran- 
ner  and  F.  V.  Coville.     Pp.  xiv,  262;   illustrated;   1  map. 

ANNUAL   REPORT  FOR  1889 

Vol.  I — Clays,  Kaolins  and  Bauxites.    Illustrated;  maps.    By  J.  C.  Branner; 

illustrated,  about  300  pages.     (Not  published). 
Vol.  II — Crowley's  Ridge,  by  R.  E.  Call.  Pp.  xix,  283;  illustrated;  2  maps. 

ANNUAL   REPORT   FOR   1890 

Vol.  I — Manganese,  by  R.  A.  F.  Penrose,  Jr.     Pp.  xxvii,  642;   illustrated;   3 

maps. 
Vol.  II — Igneous  Rocks,  by  J.  Francis  Williams.  Pp.  xv.  457;    illustrated; 

6  maps. 

Vol  III — Novaculties,  by  L.  S.  Griswold.     Pp.  xx,  443;   illustrated;   2  maps. 
Vol.  IV — Marbles,  by  T.  C.  Hopkins.     Pp.  xxiv,  443;    illustrated;    atlas  of 
6  maps. 

ANNUAL   REPORT  FOR   1891 

*Vol.  I — Mineral  Waters,  by  J.  C.  Branner.  Pp.  viii,  144;  1  map. 
*Vol.  II — Miscellaneous  Reports: — Benton  County,  by  F.  W.  Simonds  and 
T.  C.  Hopkins;  Elevations,  by  J.  C.  Branner;  River  Observations, 
by  J.  C.  Branner;  Magnetic  Observations,  by  J.  C.  Branner;  Mol- 
lusca,  by  F.  A.  Sampson;  Myriapoda,  by  Charles  H.  Bollman;  Fishes, 
by  Seth  E.  Meek;  Dallas  County,  by  C.  E.  Siebenthal;  Bibliography 
of  the  Geology  of  Arkansas,  by  J.  C.  Branner.  Pp.  x,  349;  illustrated; 
2  maps. 

ANNUAL   REPORT   FOR   1892 

*Vol.  I — Iron  Deposits,  by  R.  A.  F.  Penrose,  Jr.    Pp.  x,  153;  1  map. 
Vol.  II— Tertiary,  by  Gilbert  D.  Harris.     Pp.  xiv,  207;  illustrated,  1  map. 


148  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

Vol.   Ill — Coal,   final   report;    illustrated;    topographic   maps    and    sections. 

By  Arthur  Winslow  and  others.     (Not  published). 
Vol.  IV-— Lower  Coal  Measures;  topographic  maps,  sections  and  illustrations, 

by  J.  H.  Means  and  Geo.  H.  Ashley.     (Not  published). 
*Vol.   V — The   Zinc   and   Lead   Deposits,    by  J.    C.   Branner.      Pp.   xiv,    395; 

illustrated;  atlas  of  7  maps. 

Relief  maps  of  the  State,  of  the  Coal  Area  and  of  Magnet  Cove  were 
also  made  under  the  Branner  survey. 

REPORT  OF  1909 

*The  Slates  of  Arkansas,  by  A.  H.  Purdue,  State  Geologist,  with  a  Biblio- 
graphy of  the  Geology  of  Arkansas  by  John  C.  Branner,  former  State 
Geologist. 

REPORT  OF  1910 

Coal  Mining  in  Arkansas,  Part  I,  by  A.  A.  Steel,  professor  of  mining, 
University  of  Arkansas. 

REPORT  OF  1911 

*Water  Powers  of  Arkansas,  a  Preliminary  Report  on  White  River  and 
some  of  its  tributaries,,  by  W.  N.  Gladson,  engineer  in  charge  of  Water 
Power  Investigations. 

LATER   PUBLICATIONS 

Outlines  of  Arkansas  Geology,  -Soils  and  Minerals  of  the  State  of  Arkan- 
sas, by  Jim  G.  Ferguson,  Commissioner  of  Mines,  Manufacturers  and  Agri- 
culture. 

*Minerals  in  Arkansas,  by  Jim  G.  Ferguson,  Commissioner  of  Mines, 
Manufactures  and  Agriculture. 

*Report  of  a  Survey  of  the  El  Dorado,  Arkansas  oil  and  gas  field,  by  the 
United  States  Geological  Survey,  published  by  the  State  Bureau  of  Mines, 
Manufactures  and  Agriculture. 

The  reports  marked  with  a  star  may  be  obtained  by  forwarding  the 
necessary  postage  (llcents  each)  to  the  State  Bureau  of  Mines,  Manufactures 
and  Agriculture,  Little  Rock,  Ark.  Reports  the  titles  to  which  the  star 
is  not  affixed  are  out  of  print  and  unavailable  for  distribution  but  many  of 
them  may  be  found  in  public  and  private  libraries. 


United  States  Geological  Survey  Publications  on  Arkansas 

Subject  Reference 

Antimony   *Bulletin   340-D 

Asphalt,   Pike   County   *Bulletin    213 

Southwestern  Part Bulletin  691-J 

Bauxite  *Annual  Report  21  III-D 

Building   Stone,   Eureka    Springs-Harrison  District Geologic   Folio    202 

Cement  Materials  *Bulletins  243,  522 

Chalk,  Southwestern  Part  *Annual  Report  22  III-O 

Clays  *Bulletins  285-L,  351 

Coal   *Annual  Report  21  II-F,   22  III-I 

*Bulletin  316-B,  326 

Diamonds *Bulletin  540-11 

*  Mineral  Resources  1906-E 

Earthquakes *BultetiiT;   Bv494 

Fossils,  Batesville  Sandstone  Bulletin  593 

Boone   Chert .' Bulletin   595 

Boone  Limestone  Bulletin   598 

Eocene  Professional  Paper  91 

Moorefield   Shale  Bulletin  439 

Fullers  Earth  *Bul!etin  530-Q 

Gauging   Stations    Water   Supply   Paper   437 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  149 

Gas,  Ft.    Smith-Poteau  Field  *Bulletin  541-B 

Geology,  Camden  Field  *Annual  Report  21  II-F 

Eureka  Springs  District  Geologic  Folio  202 

Fayetteville  District  Geologic  Folio  119 

Ft.  Smith-Poteau  Field  *Bulletin  541-B 

Harrison  District  Geologic  Folio  202 

Northern  part Water  Supply  Paper,  145,  399 

Southern  part  *Professional  Paper  46 

Southwestern  part Bulletin  691-J 

Winslow  District *Geologic  Folio  154 

Gravel  Deposits   ..  Bulletin   690-B 

Greensand  Bulletin  660-B 

Hot  Springs  , Water  Supply  Paper  145 

Lead,  Northern  part  "Bulletin  213 

*Professional  Paper  24 

Leveling  ^ *Annual  Report  18-B,  19-B,  20-B,  21-B. 

Bulletins  *185,  *458,  636 

Manganese  e Bulletins  427,  660-C 

Mineral  Springs  *Water  Supply  Paper  114 

Oil,  Southwestern  part Bulletin  691-J 

Peridotite  *Bulletin   540-U 

Phosphates,  Northern  part  *Bulletin  315-P 

Precious  Stones  Bulletin   *540-U 

*Mineral  Resources  1906-E;    1913  II  J 

Slates  Bulletins  *225,  *275,  *430-F 

Springs  Water  Supply  Paper  102,  110,  *114,  145 

Traverse *Annual  Report  21-B;  Bulletins  *181,  201,  310,  440,  644-H 

Triangulation  *Annual  Report  18-B,  20-B;   *Bulletin  181 

Water  Resources — 

Bibliography  Water  Supply  Paper  437 

Surface  Waters,  Gauging  Stations  Water  Supply  Paper  437 

Quality  Water  Supply  Paper  236 

Steam  Measurements..Water  Supply  Paper  131,  173,  209,  267,  287,  307 
Underground  Waters,  Eureka  Springs-Harrison 

District Geologic  Folio  202 

Northern  part  Water  Supply  Paper  145,  399 

Ozark  region  Water  Supply  Paper  110,  145 

Quality Water  Supply  Paper  102,  145,  364,  399 

Southern  part.  *Professional  Paper  46 

Southwestern  part  Bulletin  691-J 

Springs  Water  Supply  Paper  102,  110,  114,  145 

Wells Water  Supply  Paper  102,  114,  145,  149,  364 

Winslow  District  Water  Supply  Paper  145 

Zinc,  Northern  part  *Professional  Paper  24;   Bulletin  213 

*Supply  exhausted,  but  copies  may  be  consulted  in  public  libraries. 
Publications  for  distribution  may  be  obtained  from  the  U.  S.  Geological 
Survey,  Washington,  D.  C. 


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MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 


151 


Map  Showing  Area  of   Mineral   Fertilizers  in  Arkansas 

SOIL  AND  SOIL-BUILDING  MATERIALS 
IN  ARKANSAS 


By   N.   F.  DRAKE 
Geologist  State  Bureau  of  Mines. 

Arkansas  is  primarily  an  agricultural  state.  Her  farm  and  forest 
products  are  first  in  value  of  her  resources  and  those  products  come  from 
the  soil.  It  is  well,  therefore,  that  we  give  due  thought  to  our  soils  that 
the  best  results  may  be  realized.  The  following  brief  discussion  of  soils  is 
given  with  the  hope  that  some  assistance  will  be  rendered  in  promoting 
better  usage,  tillage,  improvement,  and  preservation  of  our  soils.  The  fol- 
lowing general  discussion  of  the  origin,  classification,  characteristics  and 
ways  of  improving  soils  is  given  with  a  view  of  helping  to  the  best  usage 
of  our  limestones,  chalks,  phosphates  and  marls  for  soil  improvement.  For 
this  purpose  it  is  thought  not  worth  while  for  the  most  part  to  discuss  spe- 
cifically local  types  of  soil.  Discussion  of  specific  features  should  follow 
careful  field  and  laboratory  work  such  as  is  being  done  by  the  United  States 
Bureau  of  Soils.  As  noted  elsewhere  in  this  publication,  soil  surveys  have 
been  made  and  are  being  made  that  now  cover  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
state. 

Origin  of  soil. — Soil  is  finely  divided  rock  material  mixed  with  decayed 
vegetable  and  animal  matter.  It  is  continually  being  formed  from  rocks  and 
organic  matter  by  weathering  agencies.  No  matter  how  hard  or  what  kind 
of  rock  it  may  be,  if  exposed  to  weathering  agencies  it  gradually  crumbles 
into  soil  particles  wherever  exposed.  Changing  temperature  of  a  rock  sur- 
face produces  alternate  expansion  and  contraction  which  strains  portions 


152  MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 

of  the  rock  to  the  breaking  point.  Freezing  of  water  held  in  the  pore  spaces 
of  the  rock  pries  off  an  outer  film  and  in  places  larger  particles  of  the  rock. 
Rocks  are  soluble  in  water  in  varying  proportions  according  to  the  kind  of 
rock  and  the  character  of  the  water.  Different  kinds  of  minerals  enter  into 
the  composition  of  most  rocks  and  these  minerals  vary  in  their  rate  of  ex- 
pansion under  changing  temperatures  and  they 'also  differ  in  their  solubility 
so  that  when  the  least  stable  mineral  breaks  to  pieces  or  is  dissolved  and 
carried  away  the  rest  of  the  rock  readily  falls  to  pieces.  Plant  and  animal 
matter,  broken  up  largely  by  bacterial  action,  leaves  dark  colored  particles 
that  enter  into  the  mixture  of  disintegrated  rocks  in  the  forming  of  soils. 

Classification  of  Soils. — Soil  is,  for  the  most  part,  composed  of  sand, 
clay,  and  humus  in  varying  proportions  and  these  ingredients  form  the 
bases  of  many  of  the  classifications  as  sandy  soil,  clayey  soil,  loamy  soil, 
etc.  A  popular  classification  of  soils  designates  them  as  heavy  or  light 
soils,  which  has  no  reference  to  weight,  but  refers  to  the  ease  of  tilling. 
The  heavy  soils  are  not  easy  to  till  and  have  a  predominance  of  clay  while 
the  light  soils  till  easily  and  have  a  predominance  of  sand  or  humus  or  both. 

A  classification  taking  into  consideration  the  more  minute  physical  and 
chemical  properties  gives  such  divisions  as  the  following:  Gravely,  sandy, 
silty,  loamy,  humus,  calcareous,  magnesian,  etc.  Sandy  soils  have  some- 
thing like  one-half  of  their  particles  large  enough  to  be  readily  seen  as  in- 
dividual grains  by  the  unaided  eye,  while  only  a  very  small  percent  of  the 
individual  particles  of  a  clay  soil  can  be  readily  seen.  A  loamy  soil  has 
particles  intermediate  in  size  between  the  sandy  and  clayey  soils. 

Humus  soils  are  those  that  contain  a  high  percentage  of  decaying  or- 
ganic matter.  A  calcareous  soil  is  one  in  which  lime  carbonate  is  a  dom- 
inant feature  of  the  soil,  etc. 

A  classification  that  takes  into  consideration  the  origin  of  the  soil  is 
often  of  more  value  in  explaining  the  nature  of  the  soil.  Such  a  classifica- 
tion is  the  following: 

Residual  soil.  This  is  formed  from  the  immediate  underlying  rocks  and 
is  not  removed  from  its  place  of  origin. 

Transported  soil.  This  is  a  soil  shifted  from  its  place  of  origin.  As 
some  divisions  of  the  transported  soils  we  have  the  following:  Colluvial 
soil,  a  soil  formed  on  sloping  ground  from  disintegrated  rocks  that  lay 
higher  up  the  slope.  Alluvial  soil,  a  soil  formed  from  the  sediments  dropped 
from  flood  waters  overflowing  stream  valleys.  Loess  soil,  a  soil  carried 
by  air  currents  and  deposited  as  a  manteling  over  certain  localities. 

For  a  minute  study  local  place  names  are  often  given  to  specific  types 
of  soils  that  have  a  more  or  less  local  occurrence.  In  most  any  extended 
discussion  of  soils  terms  used  in  making  different  kinds  of  soil  classifica- 
tion are  needed  for  a  comprehensive  discussion. 

Texture  and  character  of  soil. — Examining  the  soil  from  the  surface 
downward  we  find  the  topmost  part  more  porous  and  usually  darker  in  color 
than  lower  portions  called  the  subsoil,  but  both  have  very  fine  grains.  As 
we  examine  deeper  and  deeper  portions  we  reach  material  that  is  not  en- 
tirely disintegrated  and  finally  we  reach  unaltered  rock.  In  many  places 
coarse  fragments  of  rock  pebbles,  and  even  boulders,  are  mixed  with  the 
fine  soil  material,  but  they  are  not  a  part  of  the  soil  proper  though  they 
are  materials  out  of  which  soil  is  made.  In  many  soils  there  are  crystalized 
minerals  surrounding  and  attached  to  other  rock  fragments.  These  crys- 
taline  minerals  have  been  deposited  from  over  saturated  solutions  of  soil 
waters.  In  clayey  soils  there  is  a  small  quantity  of  hydrated  silica  of 
alumina  which,  though  it  may  be  in  minute  quantities,  gives  a  sticky,  plas- 
tic quality  to  the  clay  when  moist. 

SOME  PHYSICAL  AND  CHEMICAL  CONDITIONS  INFLUENCING   PLANT 

GROWTH 

Porosity  of  soil. — A  soil  that  is  open  or  porous  holds  more  moisture  and 
better  allows  entrance  of  the  air,  which  are  favorable  for  plant  growth. 
If  the  pores  are  exceedingly  small  and  the  soil  is  compact,  capillary  action 
is  strong  and  the  soil  moisture  is  more  rapidly  carried  to  the  surface  and 
evaporated  to  the  detriment  of  plant  growth.  Lime  tends  to  floculate  clay 
into  larger  particles  and  to  cement  small  particles,  making  larger  grains 


MINERALS     IN     ARKANSAS  153 

thus  rendering  the  soil  more  open  and  easier  to  till.  Cultivation  also 
loosens  the  soil  and  makes  it  more  porous. 

Drainage. — In  low  lands  where  drainage  is  poor  the  soil  is  kept  so  full 
of  water  that  it  is  sour  because  of  the  formation  of  organic  acids;  further- 
more such  soils  do  not  warm  readily  in  springtime  because  of  so  much  water 
and  evaporation.  Such  conditions  are  unfavorable  to  most  plant  growth. 

Some  of  the  most  important  plant  foods. — While  the  most  important 
feature  of  a  soil  is  that  it  should  be  able  to  hold  and  give  up  moisture  to 
plants  as  needed  it  is  also  of  prime  importance  that  the  soil  should  con- 
tain materials  that  the  plants  need  to  induce  proper  growth  and  maturity. 
Such  materials  as  oxygen,  hydrogen,  nitrogen,  phosphorus,  lime,  potash, 
iron,  sulphur,  and  a  few  others  to  a  lesser  extent,  are  necessary  to  plant 
growth. 

Oxygen  and  hydrogen  that  plants  make  use  of  come  mainly  from  water 
contained  in  the  soil.  These  elements  make  up  a  considerable  part  of  the 
tissue,  starch,  and  sugar  of  plant  growth. 

Nitrogen. — Nitrogen  forms  a  part  of  the  fragments  of  decaying  plants 
and  animals  that  occur  in  practically  all  soils.  Microscopic  life  in  the  soil 
converts  parts  of  these  fragments  into  nitric  acid,  which  in  turn  unites  with 
lime  and  potash  to  form  soluble  salts  that  may  be  taken  up  by  growing 
plants.  There  are  other  forms  of  bacteria  that  live  and  form  nodules  on 
the  roots  of  clovers,  alfalfa,  beans  and  peas  and  other  leguminous  plants. 
These  bacteria  gather  nitrogen  from  the  air  and  convert  it  into  nitrates, 
thus  placing  an  essential  plant  food  where  needed. 

Phosphorus. — Phosphorus  in  combined  form  is  found  in  small  quanti- 
ties in  most  all  soils  but  rarely  in  sufficient  quantities  to  fully  meet  the 
needs  or  growing  plants.  Nearly  all  soils  will  be  highly  benefited  by  the 
application  of  phosphates. 

Calcium  and  magnesium. — These  elements  occur  as  carbonates  in  small 
quantities  in  most  all  soils  and  abundantly  in  some  soils.  Carbon  dioxide 
and  water  form  a  soluble  salt  of  these  carbonates  which  can  then  be  taken 
up  by  the  roots  of  plants.  These  elements  enter,  for  the  most  part,  into 
the  making  of  the  seed  of  plants  as  is  also  the  case  of  phosphorus. 

Potassium. — This  is  also  an  essential  element  of  plant  food.  Most  of 
its  compounds  are  readily  soluble  in  water  so  that  it  easily  leaches  and  is 
carried  away  by  rain  waters,  making  it  necessary  to  continually  apply 
potash  to  soils  for  best  results.  Ashes  of  land  plants  are  rich  in  potash. 

Sulphur. — This  element  occurs  in  soils  in  the  form  of  snlfids  usually 
of  iron,  or  as  sulfates  of  such  materials  as  calcium,  iron,  and  magnesium. 
The  sulfates  are  readily  soluble  in  water. 

Iron. — This  is  an  important  plant  food  but  it  is  so  abundant  in  soils 
that  there  is  no  deficiency  so  far  as  the  needs  of  plant  growth  are  con- 
cerned. 

A  number  of  other  elements  are  also  of  more  or  less  importance  as 
plant  foods,  but  for  the  most  part  they  are  in  sufficient  quantity  in  soils  to 
meet  the  demands  of  growing  plants. 

SOME  GENERAL  TYPES  OF  ARKANSAS  SOILS 

It  has  been  explained  that  soils  vary  in  their  characteristics  according 
to  the  rocks  from  which  they  are  derived,  the  amount  of  organic  matter 
they  contain,  and  the  manner  in  which  they  have  originated.  Varying  pro- 
portions of  sand,  clay,  organic  and  mineral  constituents  and  manner  of 
origin  make  an  endless  variety  of  soils  if  minutely  classified.  For  present 
needs  we  shall  discuss  only  some  of  the  larger  groups  of  soils. 

Alluvial  soils. — The  alluvial  soils  of  our  larger  river  valleys  and  flood 
plains  come  from  many  different  kinds  of  rock  and  organic  matter  that  is 
found  over  the  drainage  area  of  the  river.  The  particles  entering  into 
these  soils  are  fine  and  thoroughly  mixed  and  are  built  up  to  considerable 
thickness.  These  soils  are  the  most  fertile  of  all  our  soils  and  they  re- 
quire but  little  except  proper  tillage  to  make  them  produce  heavily.  The 
alluvial  soils  along  our  smaller  water  courses  are  very  much  like  those 
just  described  except  that  the  range  of  rock  beds  from  which  they  come  is 
more  limited  and  the  materials  do  not  average  quite  so  fine  and  the  soils 
not  so  deep.  While  all  the  alluvial  soils  are  fertile,  thev,  m  a  general  way, 
decrease  in  fertility  as  the  drainage  area  from  which  they  are  derived  be- 
comes smaller. 


154  MINERALS  IN  ARKANSAS 

Soils  of  swamp  lands  and  poorly  drained  areas. — These  soils  have  been 
formed  on  the  outlying  areas  of  river  flood  plains  and  represent  the  last 
sediments  to  settle  from  the  flood  waters,  so  the  sediments  are  very  fine 
and  largely  clay  and  organic  matter.  Vegetation  growing  over  these  low- 
lying  areas  continually  adds  to  the  soil  partially  decayed  vegetable  matter. 
These  soils  are  sour  or  acid,  but  after  proper  drainage  and  heavy  liming 
become  very  fertile  soils. 

Residual  soils. — These  form  the  greater  part  of  our  soils.  As  has  been 
shown  they  vary  according  to  the  nature  of  the  underlying  rock  from  which 
they  are  derived.  In  the  east,  southeast,  and  west  central  parts  of  the 
state  they  are  sandy  or  clayey  soils.  In  northwest  and  southwest  Arkan- 
sas they  are  sandy  and  clayey  soils  for  the  most  part  but  considerable  areas 
there  have  highly  calcareous  soils.  The  areas  in  which  calcareous  soils 
occur  are  shown  on  the  accompanying  map  as  areas  that  have  limestone, 
chalk  or  marl  beds. 

SOIL  IMPROVEMENT  BY  THE  APPLICATION   OF   LIME,  CHALK,   MARL 

AND   PHOSPHATES 

Lime  application  to  soil. — Several  references  have  already  been  made 
about  certain  effects  that  lime  produces  on  the  soil,  but  we  may  now  review 
and  group  together  these  effects  for  a  clearer  exposition.  Lime  floculates  clay 
and  cements  rock  particles  into  larger  grains,  thus  making  the  soil  more 
porous,  which  condition  allows  better  areation,  easier  tillage  and  penetra- 
tion for  the  roots  of  plants,  easier  absorption  of  rain  waters,  makes  the  soil 
less  strong  in  capillary  action  thus  decreasing  loss  of  soil  moisture  through 
evaporation.  Lime  fosters  nitrate  production  by  making  the  soil  neutral  or 
alkaline,  which  condition  is  favorable  for  the  life  and  activity  of  nitrate-pro- 
ducing bacteria,  especially  those  forms  that  live  on  the  roots  of  clover,  alfal- 
fa, beans,  peas  and  other  leguminous  plants.  Lime  "sweetens"  the  soil.  Most 
plants  do  not  thrive  well  in  acid  soils  and  the  acid  condition  may  be  readily 
corrected  by  applying  lime.  Moreover,  bacteria  destructive  to  nitrates 
thrive  in  acid  soils,  so  the  liming  prevents  the  destruction  of  nitrates. 
Liming  promotes  availability  of  phosphorus  and  potash  by  helping  to  con- 
vert unsoluble  salts  of  those  materials  into  soluble  forms.  Liming  the  soil 
where  fruits  are  grown  makes  the  fruits  sweeter.* 

Liming  of  soils  gives  greater  crop  yields,  as  has  been  many  times  dem- 
onstrated at  various  agricultural  stations.  For  example,  at  the  Tennessee 
Agricultural  Experiment  Station*  an  application  of  two  tons  of  ground  lime- 
stone to  the  acre  produced  increases  in  the  yield  for  eight  years,  as  follows: 

*Ground  limestone  and  prosperity  on  the  farm,  by  C.  A.  Mooers,  p.  194. 

Crop                               No.  of  Crops              Increase  per  A. 

Cowpea  hay 2                             0.92  tons 

Wheat 2                             6.10  bushels 

Clover  hay 2                             2.29  tons 

Cotton 1                         .  46.      Ibs.   (seed  cotton) 

Corn   1                             6.10  bushels 

:  It  has  also  been  shown  by  different  experiments  that  the  beneficial 
effects  in  crop  production  is  cumulative.  In  other  words,  the  second  year 
after  soil  treatment  greater  increase  of  the  crop  will  be'  noted  than  was 
obtained  the  first  year  because  the  soil  for  the  second  year  will  have  a  bet- 
ter supply  of  nitrates  than  it  had  the  first  year.  It  is  a  common  saying  that 
"A  limestone  country  is  a  rich  country,"  and  the  truth  of  this  statement  is 
readily  verified  by  observation.  In  the  liming  of  our  soils  we  practically 
convert  our  lands  into  a  limestone  soil  country. 

Forms  in  which  the  lime  may  be  applied. — Either  limestone,  dolomite, 
or  chalk  may  be  used  in  liming  soils  and  so  far  as  results  are  concerned 


•Soils,  by  Hilgrard,  P-  380. 


•Ground  Limestone  and  Prosperity  on  the  Farm,  by  C.  A.  Mooers,  p.  194. 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS  155 

there  is  but  little  difference;  however,  it  is  important  that  the  calcium  con- 
tent of  the  soil  be  kept  equal  to  or  a  little  more  than  the  magnesium  con- 
tent. Most  of  our  soils,  so  far  as  available  analyses  show,  have  slightly 
more  magnesia  than  calcium,  so  it  is  better  that  our  limestone  or  magnesian 
limestone  should  have  a  higher  content  of  calcium  than  magnesium. 

For  application  these  materials  may  be  ground  or  crushed  raw  rock 
(the  carbonate  forms),  or  we  may  use  burnt  (quick)  lime.  If  the  latter 
form,  it  may  be  applied  as  air  slacked  lime,  as  ground  quick  lime  or  pre- 
pared hydrated  lime.  If  the  haulage  is  a  long  one  it  is  sometimes  better 
to  use  the  quick  lime,  which  is  in  the  form  of  an  oxide  and  weighs  less  for 
a  given  amount  of  available  lime.  For  example  in  approximate  terms  two 
parts  of  oxide  of  lime  (quick  lime)  are  equivalent  to  three  of  hydrate  or 
four  of  carbonate  of  lime. 

If  the  lime  is  applied  as  quick  lime,  either  hydrated  or  oxide,  it  is 
soon  converted  to  the  carbonate  form. 

Lime  is  leached  from  the  soil  very  slowly,  so  that  a  single  application 
of  one-half  to  one  ton  of  burnt  lime  or  twice  that  amount  of  ground  lime- 
stone (carbonate  of  lime)  is  sufficient  to  last  for  five  to  ten  years  for  the 
average  soil.  If  the  soil  is  strongly  acid  more  than  the  above  named 
amounts  will  be  required.  A  light  sandy  soil  only  slightly  acid  would  not 
require  as  much  as  the  heavier  soils,  for  such  a  soil  probably  one-half  a 
ton  of  lime  oxide  (quick  iime)  per  acre,  applied  every  five  years,  would  be 
all  that  the  soil  would  require. 

In  applying  the  lime  to  the  soil  it  should  be  distributed  evenly.  Thorough 
distribution  in  the  soil  to  the  depth  of  five  or  six  inches  is  desirable,  but 
distributed  on  the  surface  of  freshly  plowed  ground  usually  proves  satis- 
factory. 

Practically  all  our  soils  would  be  benefited  by  the  application  of  lime, 
but  some  of  the  limestone  soils  of  northwest  and  southwest  parts  of  the 
state  would  need  but  little,  if  any.  The  swamp  soils  of  eastern  and  south- 
eastern Arkansas  stand  in  greater  need  of  liming  than  any  of  the  other 
soils. 

Available  supplies  of  limeing  materials. — It  is  fortunate  for  the  state 
that  there  are  such  great  quantities  of  limestone,  dolomite,  and  chalk  in 
the  state  that  are  of  excellent  quality  and  easily  accessible.  The  dolomite 
rock  occurs  in  the  northeast  part  of  the  area  marked  limestone  bearing  on 
the  accompanying  map.  For  use  in  the  southern  counties  of  the  state  the 
chalk  deposits  will  be  for  the  most  part  more  accessible  than  the  limestone 
of  the  northwestern  part  of  the  state. 

MARLS 

Marls. — The  marls  of  southwestern  part  of  the  state  are  adapted  to  use 
on  soils  in  very  much  the  same  way  as  limestone,  only  the  marls  usually  con- 
tain but  forty  to  fifty  per  cent  of  lime  carbonate  and,  so  far  as  available 
analyses  show,  only  about  two-tenths  of  one  per  cent  of  phosphoric  acid. 
These  marls  are  easy  to  mine  and  handle,  but  because  of  low  lime  content 
in  comparison  to  limestone  and  chalk,  will  not  stand  the  long  haulage  that 
more  concentrated  lime  bearing  rocks  will. 

Phosphates. — Reference  has  already  been  made  to  the  importance  of 
phosphates  in  the  soil  for  good  crop  production.  From  practical  experience 
as  well  as  theoretical  calculations,  it  is  found  that  nearly  all  soils  are 
benefited  by  the  applciation  of  phosphates.  Where  the  soil  is  naturally  cal- 
careous, or  where  lime  has  been  liberally  applied  to  the  soil,  it  does  not 
re.quire  so  much  of  the  phosphates  and  where  iron  is  abundant  in  the  soil 
more  phosphates  are  required.  Phosphates  may  be  applied  to  the  soil  as 
the  ground  raw  phosphate  rock  or  as  prepared  acid  phosphate.  The  latter 
is  more  readily  available  as  plant  food. 

So  far  as  present  investigations  have  been  made  the  only  source  of 
commercial  phosphate  rock  in  the  state  is  the  phosphate  beds  in  the  Bates- 
ville  region  shown  on  the  accompanying  map. 

The  phosphates  of  this  area  run  rather  high  in  iron  and  the  beds  that 
have  a  fairly  high  phosphorus  content  are  not  very  thick;  it  is  believed, 
however,  that  these  deposits  will  prove  of  much  help  in  making  the  soils 
of  the  state  of  greater  productive  value. 


156 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 


Area  of  Surveyed  Soils  in  Arkansas 


SOIL  SURVEYS  BY  THE  FEDERAL  GOVERNMENT 

The  state  has  made  no  soil  surveys  in  Arkansas,  although  considerable 
work  has  been  done  in  soil  study  and  fertilizer  experiments  under  the 
direction  of  the  State  Experiment  Station  at  Fayetteville.  The  United 
States  Bureau  of  Soils  has  completed  detailed  soil  surveys  in  fifteen  dif- 
ferent areas  in  as  many  different  counties,  has  made  a  general  soil  recon- 
naissance of  the  Ozark  region  (north  from  the  Arkansas  river  and  west 
from. the  main  line  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  railroad)  and  has  surveys  in 
progress  in  three  other  counties.  The  surveyed  area  is  shown  in  the  accom- 
panying map.  The  list  of  soil  survey  bulletins,  copies  of  which  may  be  ob- 
tained on  request  from  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Soils,  Washington,  D.  C.,  follows: 

Ashley  County,  by  E.  S.  Vanatta,  B.  D.  Gilbert,  E.  B.  Watson,  and  A.  H. 
Meyer,  1914. 

Columbia  County,  by  Clarence  Lonnsbury  and  E.  B.  Deeter,  1910. 

Craig-head  County,  by  E.  B.  Deeter  and  L.  Vincent  Davis,  1917. 

Conway  County,  by  Jas.  L.  Burgess  and  Chas.  W.  Ely,  1908. 

Howard  ounty,  by  M.  W.  Beck,  M.  Y.  Long-acre,  F.  A.  Hayes  and  W.  T. 
Carter,  Jr.,  1919. 

Fayetteville  Area,   by  Henry  Wilder  and  Chas.   F.   Shaw,  1907. 

Hempstead  County,  by  Arthur  E.  Taylor  and  W.  B.  Cook,  1917. 

Jefferson  County,  by  B.  W.  Tillman,  G.  G.  Strickland  and  others,  1916. 

Mississippi  County,  by  E.  C.  Hall,  T.  M.  Bushnell,  L.  V.  Davis,  Wm.  T. 
Carter,  Jr.,  and  A.  L.  Patrick. 

Ozark  Region  of  Missouri  and  Arkansas,  by  Curtis  F.  Marbut,   1914. 

Pope  County,  by  Clarence  Lonnsbury  and  E.  B.  Deeter,  1915. 

Prairie  County,  by  Wm.  T.  Carter,  Jr.,  F.  N.  Meeker,  Howard  C.  Smith  and 
E.  L.  Worthen,  1907. 

Stuttgart  Area. 

Yell  County,  by  E.  B.  Deeter  and  Clarence  Lonnsbury,  1917. 

Faulkner  County,  by  E.  B.  Deeter  and  H.  I.  Cohen. 

Drew  County,  by  B.  W.  Tillman. 

Perry  County,  in  progress. 

Lonoke  County,  in  progress. 

Pulaski  County,  in  progress. 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 


157 


INDEX 


Actinolite   38 

Aegirite    38 

Agalmatolite    38 

Agarie  Mineral  38 

Agate  38 

Agricultural  Marls  and  Chalk — 

Cretaceous  Marls  38 

Chalk  or  Lime  Marls  39 

Albite    39 

Allophane  39 

Almandite  39 

Aluminite   39 

Alunogen    39 

Ankerite    39 

Antimony   39 


Barite    42 

Bartholomite  42 

Basanite   42 

Batesville  Sandstone   23 

Bauxite   42 

Bibliography      of      Arkansas 

Geology  33 

Bigfork  Chert  26 

Bingen  Formation  31 

Biotite  43 

Blakely   Sandstone    26 


B 


Apatite    40 

Aplome    40 

Aprodite   40 

Aragonite   40 

Arkansite   40 

Arkansas  Valley  Region  29 

Aikadelphia   Clay   32 

Arkansas   Novaculite   27 

Asbolite  40 

Asphalt  40 

Atoka  Formation  29 

Augite   :...  42 

Austin  ("Anonna")  Chalk  31 

Aventurine  Quartz 42 


Blaylock  Sandstone  27 

Boone  Formation  21 

Brassfield  Limestone  21 

Braunite   43 

Breunerite    43 

Brookite   43 

Brownstown  Marl  31 

Brucite  43 

Building  Stone — 

See  Granite,  Marble,  Lime- 
stone and  Sandstone. 


Cambrian  System 25 

Carboniferous  System  21-28-29 

Cason   Shale   20 

Celestite   45 

Cement  Materials  43 

Chalcopyrite    44 

Chalk  44 

Chattanooga  Shale 21 

Chrysolite  44 

Cinnamon  Stone 45 

Clays   45 

Clifty  Limestone   21 


Coal   47 

Analyses  of  Coals 48 

List  of  Coal  Operators 49 

Coccolite  _ 46 

Collier  Shale  25 

Copper 46 

Copperas  46 

Cotter  Dolomite  46 

Counties    of    Arkansas     and 

Their  Principal  Minerals 36 

Cretaceous  System  30 

Crystal  Mountain  Sandstone  ....  26 


Devonian  System  21-27 

Diamonds  55 

Diamond  Cave  Newton  County    108 

Dog-tooth  Spar  56 

Dolomite  ..  56 


Eleolite  

Eocene  Series 


56 
32 


E 


Directory — 

State    Officials    Connected 
with  the  Mining  Industry 5 

Officials   of   the    U.    S.   Geo- 
logical   Survey   5 

Officials  of  the  U.  S.  Bureau 
of  Mines  ..  5 


Epsom  Salt 56 

Everton  Limestone  18 


158 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 


Fahlunite   56 

Fayetteville  Shale 23 

Feravale  Limestone 20 

Fire  Clay 45 


Fluospar  56 

Freibergite  56 

Florite    (Opal)    56 

Fullers  Earth  ...  56 


Garnet ...  57 

Gas  72 

Geologic  Reports — 

List  of  Arkansas  Publications  147 
List    of    U.    S.    Geological 

Survey  Publications   148 

Geology   and    General    Topo- 
graphic Features  11 

Geyserite    57 

Girasol   (Opal)    57 


Glass  Sand  57 

Gold  59 

Goodland  Limestone  30 

Graphite   ' 59 

Granite   (Syenite)   59 

Gravel  6C 

Greenockite  60 

Grossularite  60 

Gulf  Costal  Plain  SO 

Gypsum  60 


Halotrichite  61 

Hartshorne    Sandstone    29 

Hornblende    61 

Hot  Springs  of  Arkansas  105 


Hot  Springs  Sandstone  28 

Hydrotitanite 61 

Hypersthene    61 


Introduction — Importance     of 

Arkansas  as  a  Mining  State       7 
Idocrase    61 


lolite    

Iron    

Iron   Pyrites 


61 
61 
62 


Jackfork  Sandstone  28-29 

Jasper  Limestone  ,      19 

Jasper  62 


Kaolin  . 


K 


Jeffersite    62 

Jefferson  City  Dolomite 16 

Joachim  Limestone  19 


Kimmswick  Limestone  ...  20 


Labradorite   62 

Lafferty  Limestone  21 

Laws,  Federal — 

Mining  Law,  Synopsis  of 109 

Coal    Mining    Leases    Ill 

Oil  Shale  Leases Ill 

Mineral  Lands  Within  Na- 
tional Forests  110 

Laws,  State — 

Recording    of    Government 

Mining  Claims   Ill 

Creating  Bureau  of  Mines, 
Manufactures  and  Agri- 
culture   113 

Creating    Arkansas    Geologi- 
cal   Commission 115 

Relating  to  the  Taking  of 
Sand,  Gravel  and  Coal 

from  River  Beds  116 

Water  Power  Rights 116 

Providing  for  Co-operative 

Soil  Survey  118 


Mine  Inspection  Law  120 

Creating  Coal  Mine  Exam- 
ing   Board   130 

For  the  Conservation  of  Oil 

and   Gas  132 

Regulation  of  Pipe  Lines 137 

Requiring  Release   of  For- 
feited Leases  139 

•  Permitting     Guardians     to 
Release    Mineral    Rights 

of  Wards   139 

Synopsis  of  Oil  and  Gas  In- 
spection  Laws   140 

Synopsis  of  Arkansas  Blue 

Sky  Law  141 

Lead  62 

Leucite  Rock 94 

Lignite 63 

Limestone — Building  (see  Marbles) 

Limestone  for  Lime 64 

Lithographic  Stone  64 

Lower  Cretaceous  Series  30 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 


159 


M 


Magnet  Cove  

Magnetite  

Malachite 

Manganese  

Marbles  

Marlbrook  Marl  

Marls  (see  Agricultural  Marls 
and  Chalk)— 

Mazarn    Shale 

McAlester  Group  

Melanite  

Melanterite    . 


Nacatoch    Sand ... 

Natural   Gas   

Newtonite    . 


107 
64 
64 
64 
68 
31 


26 
29 
69 
69 


32 

72 


N 


Mellite   (Honey   Stone) 69 

Mica    (Biotite)    69 

Microcline    69 

Minerals,  List  of  by  Counties....35-38 

Mining  Laws  109 

Mississippian   Series   21-28-29 

Missouri  Mountain  Slate  27 

Moorefield  Shale  23 

Morrow   Group  25 

Mounds,  Theory  as  to  Their 
Origin    .    107 


Nitre  ('Saltpeter)  69 

Novaculite    (Whetstone)   69 


Ochre  70 

Ochtahedrite   70 

Oil  (see  Petroleum)  72 

Oil  Shales  70 

Oilstone 69 

Oligoclase  70 

Onyx    70 


Opal  : 70 

Ordovician  System  16-26 

Orthoclase  (Potash  Feldspar)..      70 

Ozark  Region,  Geology  of 16 

Ozarkite   70 

Cuachita  Mountain  Region  ....     25 


Paint  Materials  71 

Pealite  71 

Pearls    93 

Penters    Chert   21 

Perofskite    93 

Pennsylvanian  System 25-29 

Permanent  Geological  Survey..  10 

Petroleum    72 

Phosphates  93 

Finite  ...  94 


Pitkin  Limestone 

Plattin  Limestone  

Pliocene  Series  

Polk  Creek  Shale  

Potash  (from  Leucite  Rock) 

Powell  Limestone 

Precious  Stones  

Pseudobrookite  

Pyrophyllite  

Pyroxene  


25 
19 
33 
26 
94 
17 
94 
95 
95 
96 


Quaternary  System. 


33 


Quartz  Crystals 95 


Rectorite 95 

Road  Making  Materials  ...  95 


Sandstone   98 

Savanna  Formation 30 

Schorlomite  99 

Serpentine   99 

Silex  99 

Silurian  System  21-27 

Silver  99 

Slate 101 

Smoky  Quartz  101 

Soapstone    .    102 


s 


Rutile    .  98 


Soils  — 

Soils   and   Soil-Building   Ma- 
terials in  Arkansas 151 

Soil  Surveys  by  the  Federal 

Government  156 

Stanley  Shale  28 

Stannite    102 

St.  Clair  Limestone  21 

St.  Peter  Sandstone  18 

Sulphur  102 

Sunstone  102 

Syenite  (see  Granite)  59 


160 


MINERALS     IN    ARKANSAS 


Talc  (Shale)   102 

Table  of  Contents 3 

Tertiary   System   32 

Thuringite   102 


Upper  Cretaceous  Series 31 


u 


Topography — General  Features  11 

Travertine    102 

Trinity  Formation  30 

Tripoli  102 


Varsicite  103          Vesuvianite 


103 


Washita  Group  31 

Water  Resources  103 

Water  Power  Rights  116 

Wavellite   ..                                  .  106 


w 


What     the     Geologists     Say 
About    Oil   and    Gas    Pros- 
pects in  Different  Counties....  77 
Whetstone   (see  Novaculite)....  69 

Winslow  Formation 25 

Womble   Shale   ..  26 


Zinc 


106 


JANUARY  1930GV 

T0   DEPARTMENT  OF 

ral  Economics^ 

and 

Sociology 

College  of  Agriculture, 
UNIVERSITY  OF     7jL 


YCJ00099 


M294837 


